Hilary Knight may have ended her Olympic career with a gold medal in Milan, but the 37-year-old star is not ready to walk away from professional hockey. Knight announced that the 2026 Winter Olympics would be her fifth and final Olympic appearance: “It’s time.” She went on to help Team USA defeat Canada 2-1 in overtime in the gold-medal game. However, Knight has continued playing professionally with PWHL Detroit, and she has now explained what will ultimately determine when she retires from the sport altogether.

Speaking with PEOPLE, Knight opened up about how she views the final stage of her playing career. Rather than setting a specific retirement date, the longtime U.S. star says she is focused on three things that need to remain part of her career. “I have to continue to love what I do, I have to have an impact, and I have to do it in a way that is authentic to me,” Knight said.

That leaves the door open for her to continue playing beyond the current season. If she still loves competing, feels she is contributing, and believes that playing remains true to who she is, Knight has no immediate reason to stop. It seems like her Olympic journey is over, but her professional career is still active.

Knight’s Olympic retirement was not a sudden decision. On May 20, 2025, she announced that the Milan Games would be her final Olympics. At the time, she explained that she had spent much of her life within the U.S. national program and had reached a point where she felt it was time to move on from Olympic competition.

For Knight, choosing when to leave was important. She did not want an injury, a roster decision, or another circumstance to decide the ending for her. Instead, she wanted to walk away while she could still compete at the highest level and make the decision herself. That choice ultimately gave her the ending she wanted. And now, Knight is continuing in the PWHL with Detroit.

Knight finds new purpose with PWHL Detroit

PWHL Detroit is giving Knight a new chapter after bringing her Olympic journey to an end in Milan. Detroit acquired Knight from PWHL Las Vegas on June 16, 2026, with the veteran forward already under contract for the 2026-27 season. 

Knight’s future with Detroit became even clearer on June 25, 2026, when the team announced a two-year contract extension. The new deal keeps her with the franchise through the 2028-29 season. The timing also gives Knight a chance to become part of something new. Detroit is entering the PWHL as an expansion franchise for the 2026-27 season. She will have a role in helping build the identity of a new organization while continuing to compete at the highest level of women’s professional hockey.

That opportunity also lines up with what Knight recently told PEOPLE about the things she needs from hockey to continue playing. She previously said that “the game is as fast as it’s ever been now,” with younger players bringing more skill and pushing established stars to keep adapting. Despite everything she has already accomplished, Knight said her focus remains on being at her best whenever she steps onto the ice.

That mindset has helped Knight remain competitive well into the later stages of her career. Looking back at what has kept her going, she pointed to persistence rather than simply the medals and records. As she told PEOPLE, it has been about “standing up more times than I got knocked down.”

Her career has also given her a platform to speak about the challenges facing women in sports. Knight has acknowledged that female athletes continue to face barriers and said she wants to see more opportunities created for women, along with stronger and more equitable support. That makes her next chapter with Detroit about more than simply extending her playing career.