Who is Hilary Knight?
Hilary Knight was born on July 12th, 1989, in Palo Alto, California, and grew up in Lake Forest, Illinois. Knight is considered one of the greatest American hockey players and one of the greatest women hockey players. Knight was named the first captain in PWHL Boston history and signed a 3-year contract in 2022.
Junior Hockey
Growing up, after Hilary Knight moved to Illinois, her mother signed her and her three younger brothers up for junior hockey when Knight was just five years old. She played for the Highland Park Falcons. She claims that she got into hockey on accident, she states in an interview with Togethxr that her mom signed Knight and her brothers up in hopes that they would make friends, after moving from the West Coast to the Midwest, someone had suggested to her mom to get Knight and her brothers on skates. Watch interview here
Collegiate Career
Knight spent 4 years at the University of Wisconsin. In her freshmen season, she ranked second on the team in goals (20) and tied for fifth on the team in assists (18); she also led the team in game-winning goals with six. As a sophomore, Knight led the NCAA in goal scoring (45) and points (83). She became the new Badgers record-holder for points, goals, and power-play goals in one season. On September 27, 2008, versus the Quinnipiac Bobcats, Knight had a career-high (and school record) five goals in one game. She graduated with 262 career points and is the Badgers all-time leader in goals (143), game-winning goals (30), power-play goals (37), and short-handed goals (8).
International Career
In November 2006, Knight played for Team USA in the Four Nations Cup and was the youngest player for Team USA at 17 years old. She scored the game-winning goal at 7:48 of overtime as the U.S. Women’s National Team won its third consecutive world title with a 3–2 overtime victory against Canada at the 2011 IIHF Women’s World Championship. She represented the United States at the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship, where she recorded eight goals and four assists in seven games. During the championship game, she recorded a hat trick to help lead USA to a gold medal. She became the first player in IIHF World Women’s Championship history to surpass 100 career points. Knight has won nine gold medals and five silvers at the Women’s World Championship since she joined the senior national team in 2007. Her 14 medals surpass Canada’s Hayley Wickenheiser for the most all-time, making her the most decorated athlete at the Women’s World Championship.
Professional Career
Knight was selected fourth overall in the 2012 CWHL draft by the Boston Blades, and she became the first American-born player to win the CWHL’s Most Valuable Player Award. On September 25, 2015, Knight moved to the Boston Pride of the NWHL. She finished the season as the NWHL’s first scoring champion. Knight scored the overtime-winning goal in Game 1 of the 2016 Isobel Cup finals and went on to win the inaugural Isobel Cup. On March 8, 2018, the Montreal Canadiennes announced that Knight would join the team for their 2018 playoff run. After the PHF folded and the PWHL formed, she signed with PWHL Boston on September 7, 2023, and then on January 2, 2024, Knight was named the team’s inaugural captain. Her first season in the PWHL was not a great one, ending the season with just 6 goals and 5 assists in 11 games. Her role as Captain helped Boston make the strong push to a playoff spot in March and a first-round sweep against Montreal to head to game 5 of the Walter Cup Finals. It was a close series but Minnesota came out on top. Many questions arise after Knight’s stats for her first PWHL season, but she is under contract in Boston until the 2025-26 season, which gives her plenty of time to improve in the league.
Personal Life
Knight identifies as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. She began dating USA speed skater Brittany Bowe in December 2022. in 2023, she was named to the executive committee of the league’s labor union, the PWHPA and she was also voted the union’s player representative for PWHL Boston. The city of Sun Valley, Idaho, declared May 19, 2011, as Hilary Knight Day.
Hilary Knight with her girlfriend Brittany Bowe.
Her Impact On the Game
Knight with the help of some other well-known women’s hockey players, Kendall Coyne-Schofield, Brianne Jenner, Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson, and more formed the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA). In 2022, the PWHPA partnered with Mark Walter and Billie Jean King. Mark Walter Group and BJK Enterprises purchased the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) and shut it down before announcing the launch of the new Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). The PWHL had a successful inaugural season in 2023 which gives hope to up-and-coming young athletes, as the league gets ready for season 2 in 2024-25. Knight is not only one of the greatest athletes to play the game but she will forever be remembered as an athlete who paved the way for future women hockey players.
