Hilary Knight has described the surreal experience of appearing on “Saturday Night Live”. The Team USA ice hockey star made a surprise appearance on the NBC show this past weekend alongside teammate Megan Keller and men’s team players Jack and Quinn Hughes.
The episode was hosted by actor Connor Storrie, who stars in “Heated Rivalry”, a TV show about ice hockey.
Hilary Knight Describes Saturday Night Live Experience
On Monday, Knight appeared on “CBS Mornings” and reflected on her SNL experience. The 2026 Winter Olympics gold medalists received a loud ovation as they stepped onto the stage during the opening monologue.
“Feeling the energy of the crowd was insane. Someone pulled us aside and said, ‘I’ve been here for 20-something years. I’ve never heard a crowd erupt in that fashion’. So that was pretty cool,” Knight said while describing her experience.
Knight also touched on comparisons between the men’s and women’s teams in the aftermath of both teams’ success at Milano Cortina. The 36-year-old shared that both teams offered genuine support throughout the tournament.
“We, obviously, celebrated their [men’s team] win in the dining hall. I think that’s really out there and published, and you know, genuine support throughout the tournament. But yeah, since like, seeing the videos and everything come out, that was the first time seeing them,” Knight said.
“But they’re great guys and it’s always fun to be able to celebrate the amazing accomplishments that we both did in our respective ways on ice,” she added.
Knight is the captain of Team USA and was one of the scorers in the final as the United States defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime to clinch the gold medal.
Knight Played Olympic Final With Torn MCL
During her appearance on “CBS Mornings“, Knight also revealed that she played in the gold medal match at the 2026 Winter Olympics despite suffering a torn medial collateral ligament (MCL) in one of her knees.
Knight added that she is now struggling to walk and will have to miss a few games over the next few weeks as she recovers from her injury.
Despite the injury, the 36-year-old led Team USA from the front and played a key role in the United States’ gold medal triumph. This marked Team USA’s first gold medal in women’s ice hockey at the Winter Olympics since 2018.
Knight, who also represents the Seattle Torrent in the Professional Women’s Hockey League, is now a two-time gold medalist (along with three silver medals) and has represented Team USA in five Winter Olympics.
