Olympic Champions Hilary Knight, Kendall Coyne Schofield, and Lee Stecklein are among the notable names included in Team USA’s 23-player roster for the women’s ice hockey competition at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
The squad was unveiled on Friday (2 January), and includes 20 skaters (13 forwards and seven defenders) along with three goaltenders.
The 36-year old Knight, who captained Team USA to a gold medal at the 2025 world championships last April, is aiming for her fifth Olympic medal in her fifth appearance at the games. She already has one gold and three silvers from the previous four Olympic Games.
Coyne Schofield was an instrumental player in Team USA’s run to claiming silver at the last Games in Beijing 2022, scoring three goals and contributing three assists.
In total, there are 11 players returning from the 2022 Olympic team and 12 players set to make their Olympic debuts in Milano Cortina.
Among the newcomers is 21-year old University of Wisconsin final year student Laila Edwards, who will become the first Black women’s player to represent the US in the Winter Games.
“It still hasn’t really kicked in yet. Getting that call is like a dream come true,” Edwards told the Associated Press.
“Always had dreams of playing in the pros, but the biggest dream was to go the Olympics, for sure.”
This is the first Olympic Games since the PWHL began in 2024 and the squad contains 16 players from the elite North American league.
The USA will compete in Group A of the Games, alongside Czechia, Canada, Finland and Switzerland, and will be expected to progress to the knockout stages.
They open their campaign against Czechia on 5 February. The gold medal game is scheduled for 19 February.
USA and Canada have contested the gold medal match in each of the last four Olympics, with Canada winning three (2010, 2014, 2022) and the USA winning the other in 2018.
Team USA women’s hockey roster for Milano Cortina 2026
Forwards
- Hannah Bilka, Seattle Torrent
- Alex Carpenter, Seattle Torrent
- Britta Curl-Salemme, Minnesota Frost
- Joy Dunne, Ohio State University
- Taylor Heise, Minnesota Fros
- Tessa Janecke, Penn State
- Hilary Knight, Seattle Torrent
- Abbey Murphy, University of Minnesota
- Kelly Pannek, Minnesota Frost
- Hayley Scamurra,Montreal Victoire
- Kendall Coyne Schofield, Minnesota Frost
- Kirsten Simms, University of Wisconsin
- Grace Zumwinkle, Minnesota Frost
Defense
- Carla Barnes, Seattle Torrent
- Laila Edwards, University of Wisconsin
- Rory Guilday, Ottawa Charge
- Caroline Harvey, University of Wisconsin–Madison
- Megan Keller, Boston Fleet
- Lee Stecklein, Minnesota Frost
- Haley Winn, Boston Fleet
Goaltenders
- Aerin Frankel, Boston Fleet
- Ava McNaughton, University of Wisconsin–Madison
- Gwyneth Philips, Ottawa Charge
