The 2026 Winter Olympic Games are just around the corner, and many players are starting to gear up for them. Unlike before, many players are now in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) and have a bit more of an advantage now than in the past. They have access to trainers, training facilities, and are in a regular habit of skating and playing games competitively.
While many of these players were already skating regularly before the league came around, now they have a place to stay competitive and play against others equal to their level. Team USA is loaded with talented players this year, and in this article, we’ll look at a few of them, starting with Hilary Knight.
Knight is Synonymous With USA Hockey
Anyone who’s paid attention to women’s hockey in the United States over the past two decades knows the name Hilary Knight, and they know it well. This will be her fifth Olympic Games as she played in 2022, 2018, 2014, and 2010. She did state that this will be her final Olympics, which, outside of her amazing play, is another reason to keep a close eye on her because it’s her last.
She’s represented the USA well over the years, and it’s going to be sad to see her go, but don’t count her out in this year’s tournament. Despite being 36 years old, she can still move the puck and skate with the best of them. In the last Olympics back in 2022, she led the Team USA players with six goals and four assists for 10 points in seven games played.
She’s played her heart out in every Olympics, but since this is her final Olympics, it’s safe to say she’ll give it everything she has to try and help her team win gold, something they haven’t done since 2018. She has a lot of strong teammates by her side, and it’ll be interesting to see the numbers she contributes in her final Olympics.
Coyne-Schofield Right Behind Knight
After Hilary Knight, many Team USA fans likely think of Kendall Coyne-Schofield when they think of Team USA members. This will be her fourth Olympics representing Team USA, and every season she’s been teammates with Knight. She’s easily one of the fastest skaters on the team, and it’s possible she is the fastest. While she’s the Minnesota Frost’s smallest player at 5-foot-2, she has an equal on Team USA in Cayla Barnes.
Many may remember back in 2019, she was invited to the NHL All-Star Skills competition, where she competed against the likes of Connor McDavid, Zach Werenski, and a number of others in the fastest skater competition. She was right in the middle of the pack with a time of 14.346, less than a second behind the fastest, McDavid. She’s already helped grow the women’s game more than she’ll ever know right alongside Knight, so it’s a no-brainer she’s on the list to watch out for on the world stage.
She’s a dynamic skater who can get around the best in the PWHL and the world alike. She’ll also have some of her current linemates with the Frost out there with her in Taylor Heise and Kelly Pannek, along with quite a few others. It’ll be interesting to see what all the Frost players will be able to do in the Olympics and how much they can contribute.
“It’s going to be a good one. I’m excited for all the players involved, our Czech players too; it’s always such a special time for all of them. It’s going to be fun to root for them back home,” said Maddie Rooney of the Frost when asked about the USA/Canada rivalry, “I mean I want U.S. to bring home the gold obviously but I’ll be rooting for our individual players to do well on the other teams.”
Frankel Leads USA
It only makes sense to have one of the players to watch be one of the outstanding goaltenders the USA will have suiting up for them this year. For quite some time, it was the Frost duo of Maddie Rooney and Nicole Hensley representing Team USA, which is part of the reason they are so close on the Frost as well, because they’ve played together so often. However, it’s time to usher in a new era of goaltenders, and Aerin Frankel is one of them.
She’s been with the Boston Fleet since the PWHL started, and she’s had great seasons with them, especially this current season, as she sits 9-2-2 and was in net for their five-game win streak to start the season. Her team still sits atop the PWHL standings, and she’s one of the biggest reasons why they’ve been able to do so.
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This will be her first appearance in the Olympics, and Team USA is lucky to have her. Alongside her nine wins this season, she also has a .946 save percentage. Like her teammates, she’s already been playing against some of the best in the world in the PWHL, so while this will be a new experience, she knows what it takes to win.
USA Full of Talent
Team USA has no shortage of talent in any of their positions as they have players who can score goals, defend well, and make great saves. These players have been showing their skills all season in the PWHL, and now they’ll be able to show the world what they can do. Their first game will be on Feb. 5 against Team Czechia.
