The Seattle Torrent, one of the PWHL’s two expansion franchises, sent six players to the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. Four of them—including Cayla Barnes and Hannah Bilka, shown above—won gold with the USA. The trick now is for the Torrent’s stars to translate their international magic into greater success in the PWHL, as the last-place Torrent need to get hot quickly to make a playoff push.
SEATTLE TORRENT’S OLYMPIC STARS LOOK TO IGNITE A PUSH TO THE PWHL PLAYOFFS
by Nancy Shields
Torrent captain Hilary Knight led Team USA alongside alternate captain Alex Carpenter, defender Barnes and forward Bilka. Forward Julia Gosling represented Canada, while defender Aneta Tejralová captained Czechia. Collectively, the entire group reached the knockout rounds and combined for 25 points (14G, 11A) in 40 games.
The Torrent group won four gold medals, one silver and played countless high-pressure minutes. For a young team still building its identity, that kind of experience matters.
Few players in women’s hockey history have defined big moments the way Knight has. In Milan, she competed in her fifth and final Olympic Winter Games and added another epic chapter to a remarkable international career.
Knight delivered one of the tournament’s defining moments, scoring the game-tying goal in the gold medal final against Canada with just over two minutes to play to force overtime, a surge that propelled the United States to its third Olympic title, and the second of Knight’s career. She finished the tournament with six points (3G, 3A) in seven games and cemented her place as the U.S. Olympic women’s all-time leader with 15 goals and 33 career points.
Yet upon returning to Seattle, Knight’s focus was not on medals.
“First and foremost, while we were out realizing our Olympic dreams, we had a whole team here working their butts off, getting ready for the moment we came back and could collectively continue this journey on behalf of Seattle,” Knight said. “There’s been a tremendous amount of hard work that’s gone in, just continuing to team-build and get going. Hopefully this Olympic break was everything we needed to jump-start the second half. I’m confident in the group we have—we’re the ones who are able to do it.”
They have to do it without Captain America to start, as Knight was placed on LTIR before the Torrent’s record-setting game against Toronto Friday night.
If Knight represents sustained excellence, Bilka embodies emergence. The 24-year-old forward made her Olympic debut and quickly became one of the tournament’s most dynamic scorers. Bilka tied for the Olympic lead with four goals and added three assists, finishing tied for fifth overall with seven points. She recorded two assists in the semifinal, scored in the quarterfinal, and delivered a two-goal performance in preliminary play against Canada. For a second-year PWHL player, it was a statement performance.
Bilka’s speed and finishing ability give the Torrent an added offensive dimension heading into the stretch run. More importantly, her Olympic success reinforced her ability to deliver in high-stakes moments, a trait that translates directly to playoff hockey. Bilka also missed the Torrent’s first game back but is listed as day-to-day.
Carpenter fits somewhere between Knight’s longevity and Bilka’s freshness. The three-time Olympian tallied six points (3G, 3A) in seven games en route to her first Olympic gold medal, after earning silver in both 2014 and 2022. Her production tied her for 11th in tournament scoring.
Carpenter has already established herself as a cornerstone in Seattle, becoming the first American to reach 50 PWHL points, and her Olympic performance reinforced her reputation as a player who thrives in critical situations.
On the defensive side of the ice, Barnes continued to demonstrate why she is one of the most trusted blueliners in the game. A three-time Olympian, Barnes previously won gold in 2018 and silver in 2022. In Milan, she logged significant minutes in all situations and opened the scoring in the United States’ 5–0 semifinal victory over Sweden. Barnes’ championship pedigree, not to mention her composure, positioning and ability to handle elite competition are invaluable assets for an expansion team navigating its first playoff race.
As for the Torrent’s Canadian Olympic star, it’s safe to say that Gosling made the most of her first Olympic opportunity. The 25-year-old forward recorded five points (3G, 2A) in seven games, finishing third on Team Canada in scoring as the squad earned silver. She also finished tied for fourth in goals, just one behind the tournament lead.
Gosling’s ability to generate offense could prove pivotal for Seattle down the stretch. In addition to established stars like Knight and Carpenter, the Torrent need their forwards to create timely offense and Gosling’s Olympic performance, on the heels of a six-goal first half of the PWHL season, are proofshe can do just that against top-tier competition.
Torrent defender Tejralová brought leadership and poise to Czechia as team captain in her second Olympic appearance. Though she did not record a point, she helped guide her team to the quarterfinals and logged critical defensive minutes. A two-time World Championship bronze medalist, Tejralová’s experience against international competition strengthens Seattle’s defensive depth. Her calm, structured style adds balance to a blue line built on versatility and she had perhaps her best game of the PWHL season in Friday’s loss to Toronto, recording a season-high five shots and notching her first goal of the season.
Seattle has slipped below the playoff line in recent weeks, searching for consistency in both five-on-five scoring and late-game execution. If they can get healthy, the team’s six Olympians—who just navigated elimination rounds and medal pressure—could provide exactly the stabilizing push the Torrent need in tight contests down the stretch.
Championship runs build confidence. Elimination games sharpen instincts. High-stakes moments forge composure. Expansion teams often face growing pains as they try to develop chemistry, establish systems and define roles. The Olympic stage may have accelerated that process for Seattle’s core players.
Knight and Carpenter return with renewed leadership and clarity. Barnes brings defensive resilience shaped by medal-round matchups. Bilka and Gosling return validated as offensive drivers. Tejralová adds the steady voice of a captain accustomed to guiding her team through knockout play.
The Olympics helped prove how much talent is on the Torrent roster; now that talent just needs to get healthy and coalesce in time to qualify for the PWHL Walter Cup Playoffs.