Olympic Stars Rejoin PWHL for Second Half Push
Photo credits: BDZ Sports.
Written By Ella Rose Licata
MILAN — The 2026 Winter Olympics provided Professional Women’s Hockey League players the opportunity to represent their home countries on the sport’s biggest stage, stepping into the spotlight before a global audience.
As the Games conclude and athletes return to their PWHL clubs, several standouts are poised to carry that momentum into the remainder of the 2025-26 season.
United States: Aerin Frankel
Boston Fleet goaltender Aerin Frankel made history in her Olympic debut, becoming the first goaltender in women’s hockey to record three shutouts in a single tournament.
The United States secured the gold medal with a victory against Canada, bolstered by Frankel’s performance in net. The tournament performance adds to Frankel’s growing résumé as she returns to Boston for the second half of the season.
“It’ll definitely be a memory that I’ll remember forever with this group. We have such an incredible team, and I’m just glad, you know, that we were able to get the result that we worked for,” Frankel said.
Canada: Marie-Philip Poulin
Montréal Victoire captain and forward Marie-Philip Poulin added another milestone to her decorated career, scoring her 20th Olympic goal during the tournament to set a new career record for most Olympic goals in women’s hockey.
The previous mark of 18 goals was held by Canadian great Hayley Wickenheiser. Poulin tied the record before breaking it with two goals in a semifinal matchup against Switzerland.
“I think every Olympics experience is so unique, and you learn so much, not only from the experience but also from all the teammates you’ve had along the years,” Poulin said.
Sweden: Sara Hjalmarsson
Toronto Sceptres forward Sara Hjalmarsson competed in her third Olympic Games and delivered one of her strongest international performances.
Serving as an alternate captain, Hjalmarsson recorded two goals and three assists, helping Sweden improve four places from its finish at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. One of her goals came when a puck deflected off her face mask before she put it past the goaltender in a win against France.
United States: Hilary Knight
Seattle forward and U.S. captain Hilary Knight once again demonstrated her leadership on the Olympic stage, scoring the game-tying goal in the gold medal matchup against Canada to force overtime.
The United States secured a 2-1 victory on Feb. 19 to claim gold. The tournament marked Knight’s fifth Olympic appearance and her second gold medal, adding to three previously earned silver medals.
She now returns to Seattle as one of the league’s most experienced leaders heading into the second half of the PWHL season.
Looking Ahead
As PWHL play resumes, the league returns stocked with Olympic-caliber talent. From Frankel anchoring Boston in net to Knight leading Seattle, Hjalmarsson’s continued emergence in Toronto and Poulin’s record-setting scoring pace in Montréal, the second half of the season resumes with added star power shaped by international success.
