Did you like Heated Rivalry because of the fantastic love story and well-written, supportive female characters? Well, let me introduce you to your next obsession on ice. Hockey, but with beautiful, talented women.
Let me introduce you to the gold medal-winning USA women’s hockey team.
What’s so special?
These women are finally getting the attention they deserve, because while men’s hockey gets all the attention, they haven’t won gold in 46 years. The women’s team, on the other hand, has always been dominant at the Olympic Games.
Women’s hockey was added to the Olympics in 1998, 78 years after men’s hockey was introduced in 1920. Ever since the sport’s introduction, the U.S. women’s hockey team has consistently been a dominant force, winning three gold, four silver, and one bronze, effectively remaining on the podium for the entirety of the sport’s history, as of the 2026 games.
This is also accomplished without many of the resources their male counterparts receive, like widespread public recognition and large salaries to pay for family to come support them.
Some Notable Players
Hilary Knight (Forward & Captain)
The 36-year-old Captain of the team, Hilary Knight, has played in five Winter Olympics, adding yet another gold to her resume along with three other silvers.
Her first winter games were in Vancouver in 2010, 16 years ago. Since then, she’s been a reliable force on the Olympic ice.
When Team USA was trailing Canada 1-0 in the third period of the gold medal game, it was Captain Knight who stepped up and scored the tying goal, forcing overtime.
This Olympics, she shattered multiple Olympic records by becoming the first woman to participate in five Olympics. She also broke the Olympic records for all-time U.S. Olympic goals with 15 and all-time U.S. Olympic points with 33.
Even with all these accolades, Knight felt like taking home multiple records and another gold just wasn’t enough, so she also added some more hardware to her collection by proposing to long-term girlfriend, Olympic speed skater Brittany Bowe, during the Milan games. She said yes!
Laila Edwards (Forward)
Laila Edwards, a 22-year-old, made history as the first Black woman to represent the U.S. women’s hockey team on the Olympic stage. Edwards is currently a senior at the University of Wisconsin, where she continues to be a total powerhouse.
Edwards is no stranger to making history, though. At 20, the Cleveland Heights native made history by becoming the youngest American to win MVP at the women’s hockey world championships.
Edwards made additional headlines with the help of the Kelce brothers, Jason and Travis, fellow Cleveland Heights athletes. When Edwards’ family couldn’t afford tickets to Milan to watch her play, the Kelce brothers reached out and donated $10,000, allowing for Edwards’ family to see her win gold in Milan, including her 91-year-old grandmother, Ernestine Gray.
Aerin Frankel (Goaltender)
Aerin Frankel was an integral part of Team USA’s victory, saving the day in the net. She was integral to Canada’s first-ever preliminary shutout, stopping around 20 shots on goal. More shots came as the tournament progressed, but she didn’t waver.
For the entirety of the Olympics, Frankel only allowed two goals!
Frankel also went viral during the Olympics for her side hobby. When not being a beast in the net, she enjoys ranking Caesar salads on Instagram. Frankel gives comprehensive salad reviews wherever she goes, including Milan.
Frankel claims that her account, painbyromaine, is her true passion project because being an Olympic gold medalist simply wasn’t enough.
These are just some of the amazing women who make up Team USA hockey!
How you can support the team
If you want to help support these amazing women after the Olympics, keep supporting women’s hockey. Check out the PWHL.
The PWHL, or Professional Women’s Hockey League, is the premier North American platform for elite women’s hockey outside of international events. Founded in 2023, it is the only large-scale women’s hockey league in North America with a goal to provide a stable platform for the sport and its athletes.
While Edwards is still at the collegiate level, both Frankel and Knight play in the PWHL with the Boston Fleet and Seattle Torrent, respectively. In fact, 16 of the 23 women rostered at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games play on various PWHL teams.
Games are streamed live on the PWHL’s YouTube channel and on thepwhl.com for free!
If you want to continue supporting the U.S. women’s Olympic hockey team and its members, consider checking out the PWHL to keep up with the latest. Also, if you or anyone you know wants to get out there and try playing hockey, give it a shot!
Hockey isn’t a boys’ club anymore; it’s for everyone, and these amazing women are shining examples of that every day.
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