Before Claire Thompson won the Olympic gold medal in 2022, she was pursuing a career in medicine. Following the 2020 graduation, the Canadian hockey player was accepted into NYU Grossman School of Medicine and started her journey towards her dream of becoming an orthopedic surgeon. While her hockey career ascended to new heights, Thompson was torn between two options and ultimately decided to put her medical school on hold. Now, years later, after achieving more than she ever expected in hockey, the 28-year-old has decided to step away from the sport and return to her medical career.

On October 1, Thompson shared a photo from her hockey career on Instagram as she announced her retirement.

“Hockey, ily forever ❤️ 24 seasons later, I’m officially retired. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of my journey!” she wrote.

The timing is notable because she still feels physically capable of competing at a high level. She had been invited to Canada’s October selection camp for the upcoming world championship but declined because she had decided to return to medicine.

Interestingly, her announcement came after Thompson represented Canada at the 2026 Milan Olympics, where she won silver, and led the expansion Vancouver Goldeneyes through their inaugural PWHL season. But her dream was always to become a doctor.

“It was a long time coming,” Thompson said. “I definitely knew my goal was to become a doctor, and just thinking about the timeline to get there and eventually to become an orthopedic surgeon, I knew kind of going into this last year and into this summer that my plan was to return to school and continue down that path.”

Thompson’s Olympic journey began at the 2022 Beijing Games, where she helped Canada win gold. She led all defenders in scoring with 13 points from two goals and 11 assists, setting an Olympic record for points by a defenseman in a single tournament. She finished her Olympic career with 17 points in 14 games, another record for a women’s Olympic defenseman. After Beijing, Thompson moved to New York to continue her medical education while still training and competing for Canada.

She had wanted another chance to represent her country at the Olympics, especially after the strict COVID-19 restrictions in Beijing limited the presence of family, friends and fans. She continued balancing medical school with hockey before the demands of professional competition made the two paths impossible to maintain together. When the PWHL launched in 2024, Thompson decided to put medical school on hold and commit to hockey.

She entered the 2024 PWHL Draft and was selected third overall by the Minnesota Frost. The decision quickly paid off as she helped Minnesota win the Walter Cup in 2025 and was also a finalist for the league’s Defender of the Year award. Thompson then joined the Vancouver Goldeneyes ahead of their inaugural season, becoming the first player signed in franchise history and serving as an alternate captain.

Even while hockey became her full-time career, Thompson never completely stepped away from medicine. She continued her orthopedic research during her time as a professional player and published a paper examining injury specialization and injury patterns among elite female ice hockey players. Her work in the field kept her connected to the path she had started before choosing to put medical school on hold.

That connection eventually helped shape her decision to return to NYU. Thompson has been back at the medical school since the end of July and is now on an accelerated path toward graduating with the Class of 2027. She plans to complete her surgical residency by 2032 and hopes to focus on sports medicine and research involving elite female athletes, particularly women competing in hockey. She has also planned to shadow New York Sirens orthopedic surgeon Spencer Stein as she continues her medical training.

“A career in medicine has always been an overarching goal of mine and I feel that now is the best time in my life to step away from hockey,” Thompson said. “I have achieved far more than I could have ever hoped for and I feel like I’m ready to step away and continue on the long road ahead of becoming an orthopedic surgeon.”

But while Thompson is beginning the next chapter of her life, her retirement could leave Canada without one of its most experienced defensemen ahead of another major international tournament.

Claire Thompson’s exit adds to Canada’s growing list of absences ahead of World Championship

Canada is preparing for the tournament in Denmark, which runs from November 6 to 16, with an October 8-14 training camp in Quebec City. Thompson was one of the players asked to attend the camp but chose to retire from hockey. Canada is weighing its choices with 48 players on the list, including 16 defenders, and without one of its most experienced blueline players.

Thompson’s absence is significant given her credentials with Canada. She has twice competed in the Olympics and was a 2021 world champion, leading the Canadian women’s hockey team to the gold medal at the IIHF Women’s World Championship. She later added silver medals at the 2023 and 2025 editions.

Overall, Thompson finished her international career with 63 games for Canada, scoring seven goals and adding 32 assists. Her retirement means Canada will have to replace not only her experience on defense but also the offensive production she brought from the blue line.

The timing also comes as Canada is without several other experienced players. Captain Marie-Philip Poulin is absent because of offseason knee surgery and Blayre Turnbull is unavailable due to pregnancy. Hockey Canada has also confirmed that Thompson, Natalie Spooner, and goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer declined their invitations.