4-time Olympian Hilary Knight headlines final U.S. hockey roster for Beijing Olympics
15 of 23 players have prior Games experience
Hilary Knight was selected for a USA Hockey record-tying fourth Olympics, one of 15 players with prior Winter Games experience on the U.S. women's national team seeking to defend its gold medal in Beijing next month.
The final 23-player roster was announced Saturday night at the second intermission of the NHL's Winter Classic game in Minneapolis, where the players stood on mini-rinks next to the main ice for an introduction to the crowd at Target Field. Six players on the team are Minnesota natives.
Knight joined Jenny Potter, Angela Ruggiero and Julie Chu as the only American women to make four Olympic hockey teams. Knight, the 32-year-old forward, broke the national team's career world championships scoring record last summer that was previously held by Cammi Granato.
Decker and fellow forwards Kendall Coyne Schofield and Amanda Kessel and defenceman Lee Stecklein were all named to their third Olympic team.
The other returners from 2018 are defenceman Cayla Barnes, forward Hannah Brandt, forward Dani Cameranesi, goalie Alex Cavallini, goalie Nicole Hensley, defenceman Megan Keller, forward Kelly Pannek and goalie Maddie Rooney, who has rejoined the team after being sidelined by an injury that kept her out of the world championships last summer. Defenceman Megan Bozek and forward Alex Carpenter were on the 2014 team.
The first-timers are forward Jesse Compher, defenceman Jincy Dunne, defenceman Savannah Harmon, defenceman Caroline Harvey, forward Abbey Murphy, forward Abby Roque, forward Hayley Scamurra and forward Grace Zumwinkle.
"The women in that room are incredible, and it's intoxicating in a way. You just want to be a part of it," Knight told The AP in October.
Harvey, who just turned 19 in October, has been groomed to lead the power play. She made her national team debut in August at the world championships and scored against Japan in the quarterfinal round.
Former members not on current team
The most notable player left off the list was defenceman Kali Flanagan, who played in all five games in South Korea. Twin sisters and key members of the 2018 team Monique Lamoureux and Jocelyne Lamoureux have retired, as have Meghan Duggan and Gigi Marvin.
The U.S. team beat Canada 3-2 in a shootout to win the 2018 gold, after the Canadians had won the previous four Olympic tournaments.
Canada beat the U.S. in the world championships 3-2 in overtime for the title. The Americans had won the previous five world championships. The U.S. went 2-2-2 in six exhibition games against the rival Canadians over the past two months.
"The players have consistently worked hard and battled through adversity in the last three months, and we're confident in the talent and energy they bring to the ice as we look to take home gold in Beijing," general manager Katie Million said in a statement distributed by USA Hockey.
Team USA opens the Beijing Games on Feb. 3 against Finland in group play.
