Story byCayla Barnes, Hilary Knight, and Alex Carpenter.Ariel Messman-RuckerMon, January 5, 2026 at 8:38 PM UTC·2 min readThe 2026 Winter Olympics are right around the corner, and it’s (hopefully) shaping up to be just as queer as the last summer games, where 193 LGBTQ+ athletes competed. The roster for Team USA’s women’s hockey has been announced, and while there are only three queer players, they all come from the new PWHL team, the Seattle Torrent. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementStar players and Alex Carpenter, Hilary Knight, and Cayla Barnes are all stepping onto the ice for the U. S., having already played as teammates in the 2025-26 PWHL season. These sapphic athletes have not only taken home medals for Team USA at past Olympics but are so talented that they are likely to score big at the Italy games as well. The XXV Winter Olympic Games will be held in Milano Cortina, Italy, from February 6-22, 2026. Hilary Knightwww. instagram. comStar forward Hilary Knight is headed to the Olympics for the fifth time as part of Team USA, becoming the first American hockey player to do so. Knight won gold in 2018 and silver in 2010, 2014, and 2022. She currently plays for the Seattle Torrent in the PWHL and is dating Olympic speed skater Brittany Bowe. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAlex Carpenterwww. instagram. comSeattle Torrent star Alex Carpenter is representing Team USA for the third time after helping win silver medals at the Olympics in 2014 and 2022, where she was the only out American hockey player.