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US Women's Hockey Captain Played Olympics with Torn MCL
Hilary Knight reveals she competed through injury to lead team to gold medal
Mar. 2, 2026 at 7:55pm
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U.S. women's hockey gold medal-winning captain Hilary Knight revealed that she played in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan with a torn medial collateral ligament in one of her knees. Despite the injury, Knight was able to tie the final game against Canada with just over two minutes left in regulation, helping the U.S. team secure the gold medal.
Why it matters
Knight's revelation highlights the incredible dedication and toughness of elite athletes who compete at the highest levels of their sport, often playing through significant injuries to achieve their goals. Her story also shines a light on the medical support and training required to allow injured players to perform at their best on the Olympic stage.
The details
In a television appearance on "CBS Mornings," the 36-year-old Knight said she was "not walking around the best" and had missed some games for her PWHL team, the Seattle Torrent, due to the injury. However, Knight and the U.S. team's support staff worked to get her "out there and perform at my best - as best as I could." Knight, along with teammates Kendall Coye Schofield and Canada's Erin Ambrose, were all placed on long-term injured reserve by their PWHL teams upon returning from the Olympics.
- Knight revealed the injury on March 3, 2026.
- The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan took place earlier that year.
The players
Hilary Knight
The 36-year-old captain of the U.S. women's hockey team, who led the team to a gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan despite playing with a torn MCL.
Kendall Coye Schofield
A teammate of Hilary Knight on the U.S. women's hockey team, who was also placed on long-term injured reserve by her PWHL team upon returning from the Olympics.
Erin Ambrose
A member of the Canadian women's hockey team, who was placed on long-term injured reserve by her PWHL team along with Knight and Schofield after the Olympics.
What they’re saying
“I'm not walking around the best, and I'm missing a few games for the (PWHL's) Seattle Torrent.”
— Hilary Knight, U.S. Women's Hockey Team Captain
“To be able to play through injury was definitely a mental sort of gymnastic challenge for myself and also physical, but we've got some amazing support staff that did their best to get me out there and perform at my best — as best as I could.”
— Hilary Knight, U.S. Women's Hockey Team Captain
What’s next
Knight and her U.S. men's hockey counterparts Jack and Quinn Hughes are scheduled to appear on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" on March 4, 2026, continuing their media tour following their gold medal victories.
The takeaway
Hilary Knight's inspiring performance at the 2026 Winter Olympics, where she led the U.S. women's hockey team to gold despite playing with a torn MCL, underscores the incredible dedication and resilience of elite athletes. Her story serves as a testament to the physical and mental toughness required to compete at the highest levels of sport.
