Knight, Harvey highlight USA’s 2026 IIHF Women’s World Championship roster
The red, white and blue looks clean, calm and cool heading into one of hockey’s biggest events.
On Saturday, USA Hockey revealed the 25-player roster set to represent the United States at the 2026 IIHF Women’s World Championship.
Team USA is trotting out 20 of the 23 players who were part of the gold-medal-winning squad at the 2026 Winter Olympics, the team’s first gold at the Winter Games since 2018. The only players who aren’t back on the roster from Milan are Kendall Coyne Schofield, Britta Curl-Salemme and goaltender Ava McNaughton. Coyne Schofield isn’t playing at all this season, as she announced that she’s pregnant with her second child.
With so much familiarity throughout the roster, it’s hard not to think the U.S. isn’t on a path to a second consecutive Women’s Worlds gold. Along with Captain America Hilary Knight coming into her record 16th WWC appearance, the U.S. has extensive winning pedigree. Veterans such as Alex Carpenter, Megan Keller and Jesse Compher are all looking to add another medal to their trophy case, while youngsters such as Laila Edwards, Abbey Murphy and Olympic MVP Caroline Harvey look to further solidify themselves as superstars.
Goaltending seems to have little holes as well. Aerin Frankel and Gwyneth Philips backstopped the team to the gold at the 2025 WWC and Olympics this past February, with the duo making history in Milan.
The one notable difference is the lack of college players. With the Worlds being moved to November, it was expected that some players might not elect to leave campus for the event. That is noticeable by McNaughton not being the third-string netminder once again, with NCAA stars Laney Potter and Sloane Matthews also not making the final roster.
Forwards: Hannah Bilka, Alex Carpenter, Jesse Compher, Joy Dunne, Lacey Eden, Taylor Fox, Tessa Janecke, Hilary Knight, Abbey Murphy, Casey O’Brien, Kelly Pannek, Hayley Scamurra, Kirsten Simms, Grace Zumwinkle
Defense: Cayla Barnes, Laila Edwards, Rory Guilday, Caroline Harvey, Megan Keller, Emma Peschel, Lee Stecklein, Haley Winn
Goaltenders: Aerin Frankel, Gwyneth Philips, Callie Shanahan
The U.S., who has won gold at the Women’s Worlds 11 times, is seeking its third straight gold medal in a major international tournament. They are the favorites in Group A, taking on Austria, Czechia, Germany and Switzerland. They begin play on Nov. 6 against the Swiss.