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HEN MEMBERS OF THE U.S. OLYMPIC WOMEN'S ICE HOCKEY TEAM reconvened in Blaine, Minnesota, for training camp in September, the stories to share from their time apart seemed endless. There were appearances on Saturday Night Live and the ESPYs. Parades. Hometown honors. Throwing out first pitches at MLB games. Stops at events across the country to be lauded by countless fans. For Hannah Bilka, the moment which sticks is joining Hilary Knight at the Oscars. "I'm really into movies and I saw a bunch of actors and actresses," Bilka said. "It was pretty surreal to see them in person and definitely something I never thought I would be able to do, but it is really cool to look back on." The honors that come with Olympic glory will follow players for the rest of their lives, but there's new business for Team USA to take care of. The U.S. Women's National Team is focused on staying on top of the world, and that begins in November at the 2026 IIHF Women's World Championship in Denmark. The U.S. opens play Nov. 6 in Esbjerg against Olympic bronze-medalist Switzerland. "Once you win, you just want to win again," Bilka said. "Our goal is to win gold in Denmark. We set that bar, so we're going to stick to it." The success of the U.S. Olympic Women's Ice Hockey Team has only spurred further growth for girls and women's hockey. Less than two weeks after the Olympic Winter Games concluded, the PWHL sold out the biggest stage on American soil—Madison Square Garden in New York City. The contest between the Seattle Torrent and New York Sirens set a U.S. attendance record mark at 18,006. By the end of the regular season, the PWHL saw more than 1 million fans pass through gates with an average attendance of 9,306 per game, a 71% increase over the inaugural season in 2024. NOV/DEC 2026 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM // 23 THE ROAD TO GOLD Hilary Knight has won two Olympic gold medals and 10 IIHF Women's World Championship gold medals. Once you win, you just want to win again." – HANNAH BILKA Date Opponent/Round (EST) Fri., Nov. 6 Switzerland—Preliminary Round 1 p.m. Sun., Nov. 8 Germany—Preliminary Round 9 a.m. Mon., Nov. 9 Austria—Preliminary Round 1 p.m. Wed., Nov. 11 Czechia—Preliminary Round 1 p.m. Fri., Nov. 13 TBD—Quarterfinals TBD Sun., Nov. 15 TBD—Semifinals TBD Mon., Nov. 16 Bronze Medal Game 9 a.m. Mon., Nov. 16 Gold Medal Game 7 p.m. Watch all games live on NHL Network.