ESPN calls Hilary Knight “The face of U.S. women’s hockey.”
The newest chapter of Knight’s incredible career will be written in Seattle, as she signed with the PWHL expansion team on June 4. Wherever she goes, winning follows, including two NCAA championships at Wisconsin, 10 IIHF World Championship gold medals with Team USA, and one Olympics gold medal as well.
“Knight has become one of her sport’s most decorated and dominant players, including being named the winner of the IIHF’s inaugural Female Player of the Year award in 2023,” said ESPN.
At age 35, she scored 15 goals in 30 games as captain of the Boston Fleet last season. She also wore the “C” in Czechia in April, scoring a club-high nine points as Team USA captured the most recent Women’s World Championship Knight did announce last month that the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, which will be her fifth, will also be her last as a player.
Knight previously played professionally in the CWHL and PWHPA from 2012-2023, while also serving as a PWHPA board member. She’s an outspoken advocate for equal treatment for women in pro sports.
Hilary Knight, Forward
I’m a builder in many ways. It’s a dream come true to be able to start pro hockey in the Pacific Northwest.
Obviously, Boston always holds a special place in my heart, my teammates and my friends. That’s what’s tough. But when you look at the opportunity, new teammates and former teammates that we’re re-joining, it’s really exciting. To have an opportunity to build something and be a part of that legacy on the ground floor is unique.
Knight previously announced that the 2026 Olympics would be her last. She noted that International tournaments used to be the only high-profile games to look forward to.
That’s kind of where our mindsets have been for so many years, because the Olympics and the national level was the only sustainable option at the time.
We’ve come so far. When I first graduated college, we had a semi-pro league which we thought was pro at the time. We were fighting for visibility, more resources, and obviously some sort of wage and health care, and it took longer than we all wanted. We were able to get this starting point with the PWHL.
To have an option now, to make that choice, I’m just so grateful for all the people that came before us to be able to have this league.
And the work that’s continuously being done to create and to create a space for us to do this as a career, and deepen the pool at the grassroots level, and a space for people to be fans of hockey, I’m really excited for where the sport is right now, and incredibly grateful.
Knight has signed a one-year contract with PWHL Seattle. Team GM Meghan Turner served as assistant GM with the Boston Fleet when Knight played there.
I think a pre-existing relationship with Meg (Turner) definitely helped. She’s an incredible leader. All of us can be great when we’re on the ice because of the team behind the team that is just as important as the players.
I’m not necessarily planning on going anywhere after just one year. My plans, as of now, are to continue to play. The term doesn’t reflect my commitment to what we want to build and be a part of in the city of Seattle.
General Manager Meghan Turner on Hilary Knight
Hilary is a superstar in every way. The way she plays, carries herself in the locker room, carries herself outside the rink. She’s just really got it all. And I think she oozes leadership. I’m also excited for her to be part of the Seattle community. I think it’s going to be a good fit for her. She’s going to fit right in with a lot of the big names that already exist in Seattle.
Danielle Serdachny, Forward
I’ve heard nothing but great things about the city, and just seeing how the fans there rally around the different teams gets me really excited. To be on the West Coast and closer to home (Edmonton) is something I take a lot of pride in.
You can see on a map how far Seattle and Vancouver are from the other teams. That’s just the reality of professional sports. Sometimes the travel is not going to be ideal, but I’m sure the league will do their best to make that schedule appropriate and manageable. But Seattle is such a beautiful city, and I’ve kind of always wanted to live near the ocean. So I guess that kind of cancels out any negative effects of the travel.
Cayla Barnes, Defense
Over the past three seasons, Barnes played college hockey for both Boston College and Ohio State, and professionally in 2024-25 with the Montreal Victoire. She’s a native of Corona, CA, 45 miles east of Los Angeles.
I’ve kind of been all over the map in in the last kind a couple of years. Definitely, going back home was a big reason why I was interested in Seattle. It’s not quite home, I’m from California. But it’s a quick skip and a jump over to Seattle. So people are excited, my family and people that I know out there, to be able to come and see a game.
And there’s a bunch of little girls out there that are also super excited for that. Growing up there, to be able to grow the game is important to me. Looking forward to put roots down in in Seattle and make an impact in any way that I can.
Alex Carpenter, Forward
Carpenter played for Team USA against Team Canada in a 2022 Rivalry Series game attended by more than 14,000 at Climate Pledge Arena.
I remember we attended a Kraken game. Just looking at the crowd, and how neat the arena was, and then the next day we played. It was a packed building. The crowd was loud. I remember we scored the 1st goal, and we couldn’t even hear anybody speak. It was just so electric in that building and definitely played a role in where I wanted to play and help build that community.