U.S. women’s hockey star Hilary Knight received the hero’s welcome she deserved in the Seattle Torrent’s PWHL game against the Toronto Sceptres on Friday night.
In front of a sold-out crowd of 17,335—the first-ever sellout for the Torrent at Climate Pledge Arena—Knight was honored on the jumbotron and got a very fitting standing ovation as she waved to her fans from behind the glass.
Knight captained Team USA during their dominant gold medal-winning run at the Milan Cortina Olympics that was capped off by a thrilling 2-1 overtime victory over Canada. It marked Knight’s fifth Olympic medal and second gold, a picture-perfect storybook ending for what she stated would be the last Winter Games of her distinguished career.
Knight was placed on long-term injured reserve hours before Friday’s puck drop due to a lower-body injury she suffered in the Olympics and will remain out of the Torrent’s lineup indefinitely.
Still, Seattle made sure to honor its beloved captain who not only brought home gold, but made history doing so by setting the U.S. Olympic records for all-time goals (15) and points (33) in Milan.
A standing ovation for our Captain America 🫡
— Seattle Torrent (@PWHL__Seattle) February 28, 2026
Seattle’s got you, always. Wishing you a speedy recovery, @HilaryKnight! pic.twitter.com/h2UtKnlbZn
Friday’s Torrent-Sceptres game marked only the second time that a women’s pro hockey game in the U.S. was attended by over 17,000.
In addition, Seattle’s final attendance broke the record for the largest attendance ever for a women’s hockey game in a U.S. arena, as well as the highest attended primary home venue game in PWHL history.
Knight has recorded three goals and seven assists across 14 games in her first season in Seattle. She’s set to continue her Olympic press tour with an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday, where she’ll be joined by U.S. men’s hockey stars and fellow gold medalists Quinn and Jack Hughes.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Sold-Out Seattle Torrent Crowd Gives Team USA’s Hilary Knight a Standing Ovation.
