Quick Read
- Team USA captain Hilary Knight sustained an injury during a game against Finland on Saturday, February 7, at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
- Knight made history by becoming the first hockey player, male or female, to compete in five Winter Olympics.
- She scored her 13th career Olympic goal in Team USA’s 5-1 win over Czechia on Thursday, February 5.
- The extent of Hilary Knight’s injury is not immediately clear.
- Knight also shared a behind-the-scenes video of the 2026 Olympic opening ceremony on Instagram.
MILAN (Azat TV) – Team USA women’s ice hockey captain Hilary Knight sustained an injury during the first period of a preliminary round game against Finland on Saturday, February 7, at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. The incident, which saw Knight take an ‘odd fall’ and exit the ice, has raised immediate concerns for the veteran forward who had just made history by becoming the first hockey player, male or female, to compete in five Winter Olympics.
Knight, 33, left the ice late in the first period and did not return for her next shift, with the extent of her injury not immediately clear, according to reports from The Sporting News. Her potential absence could significantly impact Team USA’s campaign as they navigate the group stage of the Milano Cortina Games.
Hilary Knight’s Olympic Milestones and Team USA’s Start
The injury comes on the heels of a momentous week for Knight. She achieved her record-setting fifth Olympic appearance in Milano Cortina, having previously played in Vancouver (2010), Sochi (2014), Pyeongchang (2018), and Beijing (2022). This milestone places her in an elite category, though Czech men’s hockey player Roman Cervenka is expected to tie this record when his team begins play on February 12.
Just two days prior to her injury, on Thursday, February 5, Knight scored her 13th career Olympic goal during Team USA’s dominant 5-1 victory over Czechia in their tournament opener at the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena. That goal brought her within one of the U.S. Olympic record of 14, jointly held by Natalie Darwitz and Katie King, a record she had the chance to tie or break in the game against Finland. She also currently has 28 points, four shy of Jenny Potter’s U.S. Olympic record of 32, and 15 assists, six behind Potter’s record of 21.
The U.S. roster is filled with star power, including veterans Kendall Coyne Schofield, Alex Carpenter, Kelly Pannek, and defenders Lee Stecklein and Caroline Harvey, alongside younger talents like Taylor Heise and Abbey Murphy. Team USA is competing in Group A, which features formidable opponents such as Canada, Finland, Switzerland, and Czechia, setting the stage for a highly anticipated round-robin showdown with Canada later in the preliminary round.
A Glimpse Behind the Olympic Opening Ceremony
Prior to the competitive action, Knight offered fans an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Milan. Through a short video shared on Instagram, Knight captured the atmosphere as Team USA athletes prepared off-site before their grand entrance into a sold-out San Siro Stadium, which hosted more than 60,000 spectators on Friday, February 6. Her video, filmed on what she playfully called a “GoPro retro edition,” showed moments of camaraderie, long stretches of waiting, and the physical toll on athletes’ legs before the Parade of Nations.
Despite the excitement of the ceremony, Knight emphasized the athletes’ quick return to focus on the upcoming competition, noting the team would not remain on the field for the entire event to ‘save the legs’ for tournament play, a sentiment that now takes on additional significance following her injury. Knight currently plays professionally for the expansion Seattle Torrent in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL).
Hilary Knight’s injury introduces a significant challenge for Team USA’s medal aspirations, as her veteran leadership, scoring prowess, and record-setting presence are central to the team’s strategy in what is already a highly competitive Olympic tournament.