US Women's Hockey Gold Medalists Return to PWHL Action

The Olympic champions are back on the ice for their professional league after winning gold in Beijing.

Feb. 25, 2026 at 8:09pm

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The U.S. women's hockey team returned home to the United States after winning the gold medal at the Winter Olympics, to the applause and jubilation of their fans. Most of the team's players will continue their professional careers in the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL), which is in its third season. The PWHL teams were well represented on Team USA, helping raise the profile of the league during the Olympics.

Why it matters

The PWHL is still a relatively new league, and the success of the U.S. women's hockey team at the Olympics provides a major boost in visibility and interest for the professional league. The return of the gold medalists to PWHL action will likely draw more fans and attention to the league as it continues to grow.

The details

Several key players from the U.S. Olympic team play for PWHL teams, including Megan Keller, Haley Winn and Aerin Frankel of the Boston Fleet, and Lee Stecklein, Kelly Pannek, Grace Zumwinkle, Britta Curl-Salemme, Taylor Heise and Kendall Coyne Schofield of the Minnesota Frost. The teams with the most Olympians will be the first to welcome their stars back to the ice, with the Fleet playing on Saturday and the Frost on Sunday.

  • The U.S. women's hockey team returned from the Winter Olympics in Beijing on February 25, 2026.
  • The Boston Fleet play their next game on Saturday, February 26, 2026 at 2 p.m. ET.
  • The Minnesota Frost play their next game on Sunday, February 27, 2026 at 1 p.m. ET.

The players

Megan Keller

A player for the Boston Fleet in the PWHL, Keller scored the game-winning goal against Canada in overtime to secure the gold medal for the U.S. women's hockey team.

Haley Winn

A player for the Boston Fleet in the PWHL, Winn was part of the U.S. women's hockey team that won the gold medal at the Winter Olympics.

Aerin Frankel

A goaltender for the Boston Fleet in the PWHL, Frankel had a clutch performance in net to help the U.S. women's hockey team win the gold medal.

Lee Stecklein

A player for the Minnesota Frost in the PWHL, Stecklein was part of the U.S. women's hockey team that won the gold medal at the Winter Olympics.

Taylor Heise

A player for the Minnesota Frost in the PWHL, Heise was part of the U.S. women's hockey team that won the gold medal at the Winter Olympics.

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What they’re saying

“I would take a week off in Mexico, but I understand that's not possible. But yeah, we're all excited to go back and to get started back with the PWHL. It's definitely a league that's given us a platform to play on and kind of looking back to the WNBA and how they started. It's a consistent grind, and it's not just you go from here to here in two days.”

— Taylor Heise

What’s next

The U.S. women's hockey team members will return to action with their PWHL teams over the next few days, with the Boston Fleet playing on Saturday and the Minnesota Frost on Sunday.

The takeaway

The success of the U.S. women's hockey team at the Olympics has provided a major boost in visibility and interest for the PWHL, the professional women's hockey league. The return of the gold medalists to PWHL action will likely draw more fans and attention to the league as it continues to grow and establish itself.