by JUSTIN FELISKO
HERE WILL BE MOMENTS DURING
THE 2026 OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES
in Milan, Italy, when the switch is flipped.
Hilary Knight's teammates can sense when it is
coming. It may be during a potential gold-medal
game. It could occur during a practice. It could
be a simple moment in the locker room before
puck drop.
It takes a special, elite player to be named
to the U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey
Team a record-setting five times, and it
comes as no surprise that when the red,
white and blue need her most, Hilary Knight is ready to answer
the bell.
"For Hilary to be going to five Olympics is crazy," said Lee
Stecklein, who won a gold medal alongside Knight at the 2018
Winter Olympics.
"We always like to say, Hilary's peak is when she is
in this mode. I can't even describe what it is. You
just catch it. She's just got this level. And I
don't know how she's still tapping that level,
but that's why she is who she is. That's
probably always what's made her
special. She's just got this switch,
this other level that she finds
when you need it the most,
Hilary Knight Ready To Ignite
The Switch At Record-Setting
Fifth Olympic Winter Games
PHOTOS BY Images On Ice; Getty Images; USA Hockey Archive
Hilary Knight's 12 career goals
at the Olympics ranks third all
time for Team USA.
32
// JAN/FEB 2026 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM
VIDEO | HILARY KNIGHT: AMERICAN ICON
