Hockey classic in Milan: Knight breaks U.S. goal record as Keller lifts U.S. past Canada
Hilary Knight became the all-time leading scorer in U. S. women’s hockey when she deflected her 15th career Olympic goal late in the gold-medal game at the Milan Cortina Olympics, tying Canada 1-1 with two minutes left in regulation. The game went to overtime, and Megan Keller scored the game-winning goal to lift the U. S. past Canada for Olympic gold.
Hockey rivalry renewed in Milan
The decisive moments came at Santagiulia hockey arena in Milan, where Knight, 36, redirected a shot in the closing minutes to force extra time. Teammates rushed toward Knight after that goal, surrounding her and patting her blue helmet with their gloves. Two minutes earlier the U. S. trailed Canada 1-0; Knight’s deflection evened the score and set the stage for Keller’s overtime winner.
Knight’s record and personal milestones
Knight’s 15th career Olympic goal broke the U. S. mark previously held by Natalie Darwitz and Katie King. She had tied their mark on Feb. 7 with a goal against Finland, saying then, “No idea. ” Knight also set the Olympic career points record with 33 points, breaking the mark she had shared with Jenny Potter. The tournament added to a long Olympic résumé: she has won silver medals in 2010, 2014 and 2022 and a gold in 2018, and the Milan final marked her 27th career Olympic appearance.
Keller’s overtime winner and the aftermath
Megan Keller delivered the gold with an overtime goal that decided the final against Canada. After the game, Knight — who had gotten engaged days earlier to longtime girlfriend Brittany Bowe — said she was more nervous to propose than to play in her fifth gold-medal game: “my legs felt like Jello. ” Knight later added, “I don’t know what I was thinking, ” when asked about not informing teammates of the engagement before the tournament; Keller said teammates were unaware of Knight’s plan.
The result added another chapter to a long history of U. S. -Canada showdowns: across 31 major tournaments in women’s hockey history, the two countries have combined to win every title, meeting in six of seven Olympic finals. More recently, the United States won world championships in 2023 and 2025 while Canada won in 2024.
Knight leaves Milan as the U. S. Olympic goals leader with 15 goals and the Olympic career points leader with 33 points, and the U. S. squad takes home gold after Keller’s sudden-death finish in overtime.
