American women’s hockey is once again led by a brilliant knight

Cammi Granato had never forgotten the young girl to whom she lent her racket and gloves at one of the first U.S. Olympic hockey camps in Chicago in the late 1990s.

Years later, Granato noticed that the girl happened to be Hilary Knight.

“His stick broke and I said, ‘Here, just take me right away’ because he didn’t have another one. I mean, he was so small,” Granato recalled. “I clearly remember him at the time. I didn’t know it was Hilary until Hilary told me years later that it was him.

Knight was 8 years old and interested in the sport largely thanks to Granato, who was captain on the 1998 U.S. team that won the gold medal in the first women’s hockey game at Nagano, Canada.

The symbolism in which he handed the cane to Knight has not disappeared for 50-year-old Granato.

Just as Granato and his teammates inspired a generation of girls to start hockey, the 32-year-old Knight is doing the same as he has become the face of the U.S. team preparing to defend his latest Olympic championship at the Beijing Games.

“It’s one thing I really admire in this group of women. They’re actually growing the game and working to increase rights, more equality when playing, ”said Granato, the first female Hockey Hall of Fame to now serve as the NHL’s Seattle Kraken Scout.

“So Hilary, both on and off the ice, her importance to the growth of the game is exponential,” she added. “He’s an incredible role model. He has a great personality. He’s funny. He’s a deadly scorer. He’s a powerhouse.”

Knight makes his U.S. women’s hockey record in the fourth Olympics, where he has won gold and two silver medals.

The 5-foot striker has a strong skating style and a hard shot, and Knight finished fifth in the U.S. Olympic record with 17 career points (six goals, 11 assists), behind one Granato. At the World Championships, Knight broke Granato’s records (44 goals and 78 points) in August, raising his total to 47 goals and 80 points.

A few months later, Knight still had difficulty understanding the reality of passing his idol ahead.

“It still feels so far away,” he said. “It still feels like Cammi is number one for me personally, you know? Because it feels like it, right? I still feel like a little kid in many ways. ”

He continues to play hockey for the joy he has gained. Yet Knight has proven to be more than capable of meeting the many challenges women have faced as they progress in the game.

Knight was at the forefront of the threat to U.S. players to boycott the 2017 World Cup at home and successfully achieved its offer of better pay and fairer treatment from US Hockey. Two years later, Knight helped found the Professional Women’s Player’s Hockey Association, which continues to run the North American Women’s Professional League on sustainable salaries.

On the ice, Knight has led the United States in five World Championship points and / or goals. At the 2017 World Cup, he scored an overtime goal and sealed a 3-2 victory over Canada in the gold medal game.

Knight’s dual influence has earned him tremendous respect from teammates and opponents.

“He always puts his team ahead and fights to the end,” said Finnish captain Jenni Hiirikoski. “We have a lot of good battles on the ice and he is a really big star in our game. It has been an honor to play against him for so many years and hopefully he will play for many more years too.

U.S. striker Kendall Coyne Schofield sees a direct connection to Granato.

“When I was a young girl, I looked up at Cammi Granato. Now, no one is Cammi, but when you look at someone who carries the weight of this sport on their shoulders like Cammi… you can put Hilary Knight in this category, ”he said. “What does Hilary Knight mean in this game? You can’t put it into words. You just watch it evolve before your eyes.”

Knight draws attention politely and focuses on the next challenge to become the first U.S. team to successfully defend its Olympic championship. There is always a new test that will keep him coming back.

“Honestly, I come every day and humiliate sports because it’s a challenge, right?” Knight said. “This keeps us all hungry to come back and try to be part of this team. The women in that room are amazing and it’s kind of intoxicating. You just want to be a part of it. ”

Knight recalls attending a Granato camp, but a brighter memory is their meeting in 2006, when the national team played an exhibition match against the team at the Choate Private School in Connecticut. His only disappointment was that the school authorities did not allow him to dress and play.

That summer, however, Knight deserved an invitation to join the national team, and a year later he made his debut when he was awarded the Granato No. 21 jersey.

Knight is now a senior member of the team. Although many of his contemporaries are retiring, it has been difficult to see his young talented enthusiasts arouse his passion to continue playing. Don’t just tell him that defender Caroline Harvey was 5 years old when Knight debuted on the national team in 2007.

“Yeah, I don’t do math anymore,” Knight said with a laugh.

Knight recalled that the U.S. pre-Olympics series was called “The MyWhy Tour.”

“It’s for the next generation. I went through this experience. I had great role models,” Knight said. “And the fact that I can get some inspiration for the next generation, to go here and do better than we’ve done, is ultimately my fault.”

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