Now in its third season, the PWHL has been an unprecedented success — providing players with a true professional playing environment and amenities while drawing record-setting crowds. The excitement level ahead of the Olympic tournament is higher than ever, and the Games will offer a showcase that should propel the PWHL to even greater heights.
A five-time Olympian and four-time gold medalist with Canada, PWHL executive vice president of hockey operations Jayna Hefford understands how much players cherish the opportunity to represent their countries.
“Many of us know how important that is — for them personally, but also for the sport,” Hefford said. “We’ve been very clear that that we want to have the best players competing in those international events, so we're thrilled to be able to have our players compete in the Olympics.”
Here’s how players representing five different nations are looking ahead to Milano Cortina.
Hilary Knight – Seattle Torrent – USA
Olympic preparation will be different for the 2023 IIHF female player of the year this time around. Rather than centralizing for months of training with her U.S. teammates, she’ll be taking part in PWHL practices and games.
Hilary Knight: It's unique not having a centralization. This is the new normal, having a league to play in. I'm really excited, because I've already learned so much from our coaching staff here. We're going to be in excellent shape and thinking the game at a super-high level, and it's only going to prepare us when we get back to our international squads and being able to represent our country on the international stage. The travel is going to be hard, but I think we know that. We know when we're traveling, we're going to do our best to rely on our support staff to make sure that we are in tip-top shape when that opportunity comes.
With one Olympic gold and three silvers, what does it mean to Knight be going into the 2026 tournament as a professional hockey player this time?
HK: Awesome. I sort of have to pinch myself every day that we get to do this. It’s so special to be able to do this thing that you love with your friends. Obviously, it is a business, and there’s all that other stuff that goes into it. But at the very root of it, to be able to come to the rink, do the thing I love, train, get better, learn, it's really exciting. To have that background going into all the storylines that are leading up to the Olympics, you're going to see some incredible hockey on the world stage as well.
Michelle Karvinen – Vancouver Goldeneyes - Finland
Also returning for her fifth Olympics in 2026, the three-time Olympic bronze medalist and silver medalist from the 2019 world championship is making her PWHL debut this season with the expansion Goldeneyes.
Michelle Karvinen: For me for many years, and even the Finnish team, the goal has been to take that next step and hopefully be able to get a medal that has a different color than bronze. In order to do that, you also need to train and compete against that type of player every single day, so I definitely thought this would be the best place for me to be.
Karvinen’s most iconic Olympic memory came in the city where she’s now playing as a pro.
MK: It was my first Olympics. The whole experience of being here, but also being able to be in Canada — there's no better place to play hockey than Canada.
For me also, coming back here and walking through the Olympic Village and showing my wife where we lived — it's so cool that this is coming full circle. It really was my dream to make to make it to the Olympics. To be able to win a medal was amazing. Coming back, this other big dream of being a pro hockey player is also coming true in the same city. It's very cool.
Karvinen never imagined that her Olympic experience could stretch across 16 years.
MK: After my first Olympics, I made an Olympic tattoo and then I tattooed the year. Then, I tattooed the second year. I was like, ‘Oh, this is going to be long,’ and then I stopped, actually. If I would have done all five, it would have been down on my leg! I did not expect that.
I'm really starting to appreciate every four-year run. I feel like you learn so much from every single round. If it's been good or bad or whatever, it's just been very unique.
Kristin O’Neill – New York Sirens – Canada
After five world championships and a regular spot on Canada’s Rivalry Series roster in 2025, the hard-working 27-year-old would realize a lifelong dream if she gets the call for Milano Cortina.
Kristin O’Neill: I think that feeling would encapsulate most positive human emotions. It sounds cliché, but just proud of myself, proud to represent my family and everyone who would have gotten me to this point in my career. So excited and honored to wear the jersey at the Olympics. I think those emotions probably would stick out if I'm lucky enough to get my name called for that roster.
O’Neill’s Olympic dream was hatched at 11 years old.
KO: I actually went to the 2010 Olympics with my family. We went to a bunch of different events, saw women's and men's hockey. I still have the photos from that, too. Every so often I look back at them and think, ‘That could be me, that a little girl is watching.’ That's pretty surreal.
I also remember in 2014, my mom pulled me out of school to watch a game. That was pretty cool, too.
Tereza Vanisova – Vancouver Goldeneyes – Czechia
An eight-time world championship player, Vanisova won bronze in 2023. Her Olympic debut came in Beijing in 2022, where Czechia was eliminated by Team USA in the quarter-final.
Tereza Vanisova: The first Olympics was very exciting. The outcome wasn’t the best of what we wanted to be, but that happens in hockey. I hope Milano is going to be it for us, and that we’re going to fight for a medal.
The Czech women’s program has been on the rise, and now sits at an all-time high in the IIHF world ranking.
TV: I remember being in the first division. Then we got in the top division one year but then we had to go back down.
It's ups and downs, but we finally got this steady position. I think it's great, and I think it's going to be even better. The younger players are going to come in more too. We have a lot of lot of younger kids playing NCAA, so we'll see. It's growing for sure. Even in Czech, now we have a new U16 league, which had never been been a thing. I think it's definitely on the right track.
After playing her first Olympics in China, Vanisova is excited to hit the ice closer to home in 2026.
TV: I'm so glad it's in Italy. Italy is my favorite country. Obviously, it's not far from Czech, so everyone can come support. I'm super happy about that.
Nina Jobst-Smith – Vancouver Goldeneyes - Germany
The PWHL rookie defender out of the University of Minnesota-Duluth was raised in North Vancouver, Canada, but seized the opportunity to play for the German national team.
Nina Jobst-Smith: My mom — she's German. I've always had my German citizenship, so that was always an option for me. When I was going into my grade 12 year at school, I decided I wanted to play overseas. You have to play in a country and live there for a year in order to play for their national program, so I was able to do that and meet a lot of the girls that actually I still play with on the national team now, playing for an organization called Memmingen.
That opportunity honestly came to fruition mainly because of my mom. She is a great connector and did a lot of the work to get me overseas. I had a lot of people help me get to that point, but my mom was my biggest advocate in those moments. Since then, I've been able to prove myself with the national team. Been really fortunate to be a part of the group for the past six or so years.
After playing in five world championships and in the Olympic qualifiers in 2022, Jobst-Smith has her sights set on an Olympic debut in Milan in 2026.
NJS: It's so exciting. A very proud moment for me and our country. The last time the German women’s team was in the Olympics was 2014. It's been 12 years.
We've been really fighting to get back into that spot and I think it was really rewarding for our group, knowing that we earned that moment. A really special Olympic qualification back in February, and now I think we're all just looking to stay healthy and sharp and looking to develop ourselves and be ready for when February rolls around again and we're able to suit up in the Olympics.
Though Jobst-Smith has started the PWHL season on the injured list, she’s looking forward to using league play to help prepare for Milano Cortina.
NJS: All the best players in the world are playing in this league, so it's going to be a step up from college. I'm doing everything I can to prepare for that, but know that I'm going to be developing and learning every single day from all the amazing athletes and staff and coaches we have here. Playing in the PWHL is going to be the best preparation for me, and I'm really excited to get going with our group.
What does it mean for Jobst-Smith to head to her first Olympics as a professional hockey player?
NJS: I just got chills when you said that. I don't think I ever would have thought that. Even just six years ago, this professional league didn't exist. It's very new. Just really fortunate and really grateful to be playing in my hometown and to be representing Germany and for everything else that has come to my plate recently. It's going to be very special, and I just want to do everyone proud.