• Faith: Christian
• Career: Athlete
• Birthday:  July 12, 1989

Hilary Knight is an American professional ice hockey forward and one of the most accomplished players in the history of the women’s game. She has served as captain of the United States women’s national ice hockey team and has competed at the highest levels of international and professional hockey for nearly two decades, earning a reputation for elite scoring ability, longevity, and leadership.

Knight was born to Jim and Cynthia Knight and grew up in a competitive, sports-oriented household alongside three younger brothers. Her family later moved to Illinois and then to New Hampshire, where she was exposed to stronger youth hockey programs. From an early age, Knight often played on boys’ teams, a common path for elite female players at the time, which helped accelerate her physical and technical development. As a child, she openly spoke about her ambition to play in the Olympics, a goal that guided her athletic focus through her teenage years.

She attended Choate Rosemary Hall, a prestigious boarding school in Connecticut known for its strong hockey tradition. There, Knight refined her two-way game and emerged as a top collegiate prospect. She went on to play college hockey at the University of Wisconsin, where she became one of the most prolific scorers in program history. Over her NCAA career, Knight recorded 143 goals and 262 points, establishing herself as Wisconsin’s all-time leading goal scorer. She helped lead the Badgers to NCAA national championships in 2009 and 2011 and earned multiple All-American and conference honors.

Knight made her debut with the U.S. women’s national team in 2007 and quickly became a cornerstone of the program. She has represented the United States in five Olympic cycles, winning four Olympic medals, including gold at the 2018 Winter Olympics. She has also been a dominant presence at the IIHF Women’s World Championships, where she has won ten gold medals and holds the tournament’s all-time records for goals, assists, and total points. Her sustained excellence led to her being named the inaugural IIHF Female Player of the Year.

At the professional level, Knight has played across multiple leagues during the evolving landscape of women’s hockey. She starred for the Boston Blades of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, winning two Clarkson Cups and becoming the first American to earn league MVP honors. She later played for the Boston Pride of the National Women’s Hockey League, helping the franchise win the inaugural Isobel Cup in 2016. With the launch of the Professional Women’s Hockey League, Knight emerged as both a marquee player and an influential leader, serving on the league’s players association executive committee.

In the PWHL’s early seasons, Knight continued to perform at an elite level, finishing among the league leaders in scoring and earning recognition as a top MVP candidate. In 2025, she signed with the Seattle franchise and was named its first team captain, underscoring her status as a veteran leader and foundational figure in the league.

Off the ice, Knight is known for her advocacy on behalf of women’s hockey, including efforts focused on professional stability, equal opportunity, and athlete representation. She has also been open about her personal life and is in a long-term relationship with Olympic speed skater Brittany Bowe. The two reside in Utah and frequently support one another’s athletic careers.

Hilary Knight's Religious Beliefs

Knight comes from a family with a Christian religious upbringing and has participated in traditional Christian holiday observances with her family. However, she does not regularly speak about her faith in interviews or public forums, nor does she prominently frame her athletic career around religious messaging. Her Christian background remains a personal aspect of her life rather than a defining element of her public identity as an athlete.