We sat down with our Captain America, hockey legend Hilary Knight, to hear about how she got started on the ice, her time so far with the Seattle Torrent, and the upcoming Winter Olympics.

TOGETHXR: You were the first player to sign with the Seattle Torrent — what went into your decision to sign with the expansion franchise?

Hilary: I had a very small sample size of Seattle. We played a rivalry game here, which was outstanding, and then a takeover tour game last year, and I was like, “Oh my gosh, whoever has an opportunity to be a part of the inaugural season in Seattle is gonna be so lucky and so fortunate.” When that opportunity opened up for myself, I was like, let's go — are you kidding me? [Seattle has] a long history of supporting women's sports and women athletes for decades, right? We talk about right now in the lens of women's sports, but Seattle's been doing it for a long time. It felt like the perfect recipe for our success here as a hockey club. 

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TOGETHXR: What excites you most about where the Torrent is at so far this season? 

Hilary: We had a lot of new things thrown at us, and we're going to continue to have new things thrown at us — but I'd say from the hockey standpoint, we have a coach who hasn't been on the women's side before, has a different language, has different systems, and has different reads in the technical aspect. So, there's going to be a learning process and a growth process. Right now, it's really about trusting that process and continuing to hone in on the things we're harping on every single day, because that's going to set us up for success later on. At the beginning, I think we were all overwhelmed because it was completely different. But that's also really exciting, because we're learning the game in a different way. It's refreshing. I'm really excited about how we're positioning ourselves as we navigate the rest of the season. Even in our first game, our home opener against Minnesota, our first period was outstanding — but we just couldn't string 60 minutes together. That little glimpse there, if we can sort of bottle that up and manufacture that for an extra two periods, we're going to be in a really good spot against a lot of these teams. 

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TOGETHXR: Climate Pledge Arena was rocking at that home opener. What was it like to step out onto the ice in Seattle for the first time?

Hilary: Yeah, you just feel this overwhelming vibe, you just feel the love and support. That's something I've experienced in a USA jersey, and to an extent in Boston, but there's just something different about the support out here. Brit [Brittany Bowe, Olympic speedskater and Hilary’s girlfriend] was able to drive up and move me in at the start of the season, and we were in Target when people started coming up to us, being like, “Oh my gosh, you're here!” I was just like, wait, what's happening? Not only are we excited, but people are really excited about us being here. When you have that synergy, it's just such a special thing.

TOGETHXR: One of our favorite things about the PWHL is the Takeover Tour. It's such a great way to grow the sport in cities that don't yet have a team. If you got to pick anywhere in the world for the PWHL to add a takeover tour spot, where would you want to play? 

Hilary: New Zealand. I would love to take a Takeover Tour game to Auckland. I visited there years ago and loved it. There's lowkey a little hockey hotbed down there. Australia's got a league as well, but opposite seasons. In the U.S., there's not a rink big enough in Idaho, so I'd probably have to go with Salt Lake City. It's so special to be able to break the mold and go to places that are potential hockey markets.

I'd like to think our barriers to introducing the game to families are lower and more cost-effective. We're also creating spaces for diehard hockey fans who have been in it since the very beginning and grown up in the sport, and for those who are new to the sport. That's what makes the Takeover Tour so special and unique. 

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TOGETHXR: What got you into loving hockey? Do you remember a specific moment when you realized that this sport was going to be a huge part of your life? 

Hilary: I've literally lived out of my suitcase since I was five years old, probably. I got introduced to the sport in the Midwest because that's all that was going on there. There aren’t any mountains or anything. I come from a huge ski family. I knew I wanted to be the best in the sport and do the sport at the highest level when I first learned how to skate — when I was first doing those crossovers, I thought, “I'm gonna be great at this. I'm gonna go to the Olympics.” 

Funny story: I don't know why this was a thing, but USA hockey used to hold open tryouts throughout the country for the Olympic teams back in the day. I actually lied on my entry to try out for the 2006 team because there was an age requirement. I went to one of the open tryouts and knew I wanted to be on the team. I ended up getting a rejection letter in the mail and didn't make that team, but four years later, I had the opportunity to represent the country at the 2010 Olympic Games. I don't know if it's this crazy, super-competitive mentality I have… I just want to go after those dreams and plot a way to get there. This game is so special, and it's given me so much, and I'm so happy and fortunate to have been introduced to it.

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TOGETHXR: Team USA recently swept Canada in the Rivalry Series. What do you think that does for the team’s mindset going into the Winter Olympics?

Hilary: Our group is really interesting. You beat a team 10-4, and you would think everyone's elated, right? No. Everyone was on the same page — let's get back to work. I think that's what's so special about our team — we're really good, but everyone is so humble and wants to get back in there and get better. I've only been part of a few teams like that. I'm curious to see how players own their personal development when we're away, because we haven't done programming like this where we're not centralized together, which might be a bit refreshing for our group at this point. We're in a really good spot. Every team's going to bring it and be prepared. It's the biggest stage. 

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TOGETHXR: There are so many great sports that don't get as much shine year-round or every year, but when the Olympics come around, folks tune in. What is your favorite sport (other than hockey) to watch during the Winter Games?

Hilary: Obviously, my girlfriend, Brittany Bowe [speedskating]. Other than speedskating… In 2018, I led a group to the mountains to watch Mikaela Shiffrin race. We dragged ourselves out of bed super early to catch the first bus up to the mountains — turns out, there was a weather delay, and she did not race that day. I love downhill ski racing. That is so much fun for me to watch. 

Honestly, it's really hard to pick, because I love watching figure skating, too. You just get bitten by the Olympic spirit, and you're the biggest Team USA fan. I just want to cheer everyone on.

Favorite sports movie: Mystery, Alaska. I was obsessed with it when I was younger. 

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Artist of the year: Zooland or jigitz — I like house music. 

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A non-hockey athlete that you think is killing the game right now (other than Brittany): Lindsey Vonn.

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Your biggest pet peeve: Oh my gosh… Probably behavior on a plane. Why are people elbowing to get around when we just landed? I always joke around with my teammates that we should write a book about how to travel.

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Your biggest piece of advice for other young female athletes: Create the best support group that you can, and dare to try.