OLYMPICS: Ice hockey-US name Knight as women's team captain

USA Hockey announced on Monday that Hilary Knight will captain the U.S. women’s hockey team at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina. The 36-year-old forward will be appearing in her fifth Olympic Games, making her the first American hockey player to reach this milestone.

Knight has served as U.S. captain since the 2022 World Championship. She won a gold medal in 2018 and has earned silver in her other three Olympic appearances.

Forward Alex Carpenter and defender Megan Keller have been named alternate captains. The team will aim to continue their strong record against Olympic champions Canada, having won the last six meetings between the two rivals.

The U.S. team will start their Group A campaign on Thursday against the Czech Republic. They will also face Finland, Switzerland, and Canada in the preliminary round, with all five teams advancing to the quarter-finals. -Reporting by Trevor Stynes, editing by Ed Osmond/Reuters