Hilary Knight leads USA women's hockey to Olympic gold with torn MCL

Five-time Olympian played through injury to help Americans capture first gold since 2018

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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Hilary Knight was pivotal in helping the U.S. women's national hockey team capture gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, despite playing through a torn medial collateral ligament (MCL) in her left leg. Knight scored a late equalizer to send the gold medal game against Canada to overtime, before Megan Keller's sudden-death goal lifted the Americans to the top of the podium for the first time since 2018. Knight finished the tournament with six points, including a new all-time U.S. Olympic record in points (33) and goals (15).

Why it matters

Hilary Knight's gutsy performance and leadership in playing through a significant injury helped the U.S. women's hockey team capture their first Olympic gold medal since 2018, cementing her legacy as one of the greatest American hockey players of all time. Her ability to push through adversity and deliver in the clutch moments underscores the team's resilience and determination to regain the top spot on the Olympic podium.

The details

Knight revealed she suffered a torn MCL during the Olympics but was able to play through the injury with the help of the team's medical staff. She left the ice with an apparent left leg injury during the team's 5-0 victory over Finland on Feb. 7, but returned to the game and went on to score her 14th career Olympic goal, tying the U.S. Olympic all-time scoring record. Knight then took sole ownership of the goals and points records during the gold medal game against Canada.

  • Knight suffered the MCL tear at some point during the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.
  • Knight left the ice with an apparent left leg injury during the U.S. team's 5-0 victory over Finland on Feb. 7, 2026.
  • Knight returned to the game against Finland and went on to score her 14th career Olympic goal, tying the U.S. Olympic all-time scoring record.
  • Knight took sole ownership of the goals (15) and points (33) records during the gold medal game against Canada on Feb. 19, 2026.
  • Knight sat out the Seattle Torrent's 5-2 loss to the Toronto Sceptres on March 2, 2026 due to her injury.

The players

Hilary Knight

A five-time Olympian and one of the greatest American hockey players of all time, Knight was pivotal in helping the U.S. women's national hockey team capture gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics despite playing through a torn MCL in her left leg.

Megan Keller

The American ice hockey player scored the sudden-death goal that lifted the U.S. women's national team to the gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Taylor Heise

A member of the U.S. women's national hockey team who was emotional on the bench after seeing Knight get injured during the team's 5-0 victory over Finland.

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What they’re saying

“To be able to play through injury was definitely a mental sort of gymnastic challenge for myself and also physical. 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 (CBS Mornings)

“When we saw her kind of roll over and got hurt a little bit, (it) almost brought me to tears on the bench. (Knight) is such a resilient player and she worked so hard and you could see her when she got in the locker room, it didn't phase her. Straight to the trainer and did what she needed to do and figured it out.”

— Taylor Heise, U.S. women's national hockey team player (USA TODAY)

What’s next

Knight didn't disclose when she suffered the MCL tear, but she did leave the ice with an apparent injury to her left leg during Team USA's 5-0 victory over Finland on Feb. 7. The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

Hilary Knight's gutsy performance and leadership in playing through a significant injury to help the U.S. women's hockey team capture Olympic gold underscores the team's resilience and determination to regain the top spot on the podium. Knight's ability to push through adversity and deliver in the clutch moments cements her legacy as one of the greatest American hockey players of all time.