‘I Wouldn’t Recommend It’ — Hilary Knight Shares Nerve-Wracking Proposal Moment At the Winter Olympics

Olympic champion ice hockey player Hilary Knight recently opened up about her nerve-wracking proposal to two-time Olympic medalist speed skater Brittany Bowe. The two champions got engaged a day before the women’s ice hockey finals, where Team USA overcame their Canadian opponents. Knight is a five-time Olympic medalist.

She led Team USA to historic victories at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and the recently concluded 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.

Hilary Knight Reveals How She Proposed Brittany Bowe On A Grate

Knight attended the iconic ‘Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon’ alongside Jack & Quinn Hughes, members of the US men’s ice hockey team, who created history by winning their first Olympic title after 46 years. When Fallon showed a viral video of Knight proposing to Bowe, she revealed that she was actually standing on a grate, much to the disbelief of both Fallon and the Quinn brothers.

However, Knight was unfazed by their reactions as she mentioned further,

“Grate. I wouldn’t recommend it. You know, why add more stress to your life? I don’t know. I like high pressure situations, I guess.”

READ MORE : Hilary Knight Issues a Clarification on Whether Women’s Hockey Team Will Accept Donald Trump’s Invitation to the White House

Knight explained how she felt before proposing the 38-year-old speed skater, as she further added,

“You know, I was really nervous during the Olympics, and logistically it just made sense with her schedule, my schedule, and I just went full send and didn’t think about the grate until I was hovering over it. Half kneeled, shaking. This is as far as I can go.”

Knight was initially hesitant to come out publicly as a queer athlete. However, after meeting Brittany Bowe, things began to change for the better. In 2024, the couple purchased a home together, and during the Winter Olympics, the five-time Olympic medalist officially announced her relationship  with Bowe as she proposed to her.

In a previous interview with the Good Morning America hosts, Knight talked about her response to visiting the White House after the locker room controversy. The five-time Olympic medalist stated,

“I’m not sure. I’m really not sure where that stands. I know there was an announcement the other day. But as far as I know, I haven’t seen anything. You know, I thought the call itself was distasteful, and a moment to refocus the narrative and understand that our worth matters and how we speak about women matters. We need to celebrate this team, as we’ve earned these celebrations. So really, just looking forward to drive success through our group and be the inspiration that we are in our communities.”

For the uninitiated, President Trump allegedly joked about getting ‘impeached’ if he didn’t invite the women’s team to the State of the Union address during his video call with the men’s ice hockey team. The joke didn’t go down well with the women’s team, who declined President Trump’s invitation and chose to celebrate with American rapper Flavor Flav instead.