Knight Named 2023 IIHF Female Player of the Year
Team USA Forward Named First Recipient of Award
ZURICH, Switzerland – U.S. Women’s National Team forward Hilary Knight (Sun Valley, Idaho) was named 2023 International Ice Hockey Federation Female Player of the Year the IIHF announced today.
The award, which is in its inaugural season, honors the top female hockey player who best exemplified skill, determination, team success, and sporting character on and off the ice during the preceding season. To be eligible, a player must have competed in at least one IIHF tournament at any level during the year, as well as in a domestic league of the highest caliber for that country.
Knight represented the U.S. at the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship, recording a tournament-leading eight goals. Three of her goals came in the gold-medal game at the championship, a 6-3 victory over Canada, including the game-winning goal late in the third period. Knight, the U.S. captain, finished the tournament with 12 points (8G, 4A) and now has 101 Women’s World Championship points in her career.
The Sun Valley, Idaho, native has competed in 13 IIHF Women’s World Championships, winning a medal in all of them. She has won nine WWC golds, tied for most in IIHF history. In addition, Knight played in the PWHPA for Team Sonnet, recording 10 points in 18 games.
U.S. defender Caroline Harvey (Salem, N.H.) was a finalist for the award and came in second in the voting.