Hilary Knight

Across a decorated career that included two Olympic medals, seven world championships, two NCAA titles, and a history-making appearance with the NHL's Anaheim Ducks, Hilary Knight became a role model in women's ice hockey and one of the sport's best-ever players. She was born in Palo Alto, Calif., into a family that never ice skated but loved to ski. However, once Knight took skating lessons at age 5 and started playing hockey soon after, she fell in love with it. In 2007, Knight enrolled at the University of Wisconsin, coached by 1980 Lake Placid "Miracle on Ice" hero Mark Johnson, and she immediately made an impression by scoring 20 goals and 38 points in 41 games. As a sophomore, she helped the Badgers win the NCAA title. In 39 games she set single-season school records for points (83) and goals (45), as well as scored a career-high five goals in one game, also a school record. At the 2009 IIHF World Championship, Knight was named one of Team USA's top three players at just 19 years old, scoring a tournament-best seven goals in five games for the victorious Americans. She made her Olympic debut at the 2010 Vancouver Games, scoring eight points in five games and winning a silver medal as the team's youngest member. Back at Wisconsin for her junior season, Knight picked up where she left off by leading the team to another championship while netting an NCAA-leading 47 goals. By now a dominating power forward at five-feet-11-inches and 170 pounds, she capped her collegiate career in 2012, graduating with an all-time Wisconsin record (men and women) 143 goals and 262 points, surpassing Johnson's previous marks. Her professional career began later that year when she was drafted first overall by the Boston Blades of the Canadian Women's Hockey League. She led the team in scoring and became the first American-born player to win the CWHL's Most Valuable Player award. In 2013, Knight won her fourth World Championship gold, and at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, she helped Team USA win its second straight silver medal. Two more world titles followed in 2015 and '16, with No. 21 earning tournament MVP honors both times. She then scored the gold medal-winning goal in overtime to beat Canada in the 2017 World Championship. Making headlines off the competitive circuit, Knight posed nude for ESPN the Magazine's "Body" issue, championed the cause of eliminating stereotypes of women in sports, and helped negotiate a more equitable labor deal with USA Hockey. She also worked out with the Anaheim Ducks, believed to be the first time a female skater (nongoalie) has participated in an official practice with an NHL team. In addition to mom Cynthia and dad Jim, Knight has three brothers -- James Jr., Remington and William. In January 2018 she qualifed for the U.S. Olympic team, representing the U.S. at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.