When Hilary Knight equalled Cammi Granato’s all-time Women’s Worlds goals record with her 44th career goal on Sunday, it was a unique moment for this 11-time World Championship participant.

Knight, 32, was more interested in focusing on the 3-0 win over Finland as another stepping stone toward a potential sixth consecutive U.S. world title than in terms of her personal exploits. Yet for fans and media, it is a natural time to consider the extraordinary careers of Knight and her childhood idol Granato side by side. Why right now?

Well, Knight will almost certainly soon take sole possession of the goals record here in Calgary. (Not to mention that the veteran power forward is also, at 76 points, just 10 back of Canadian legend Hayley Wickenheiser’s all-time Women’s Worlds points mark.)

“She’s the model of consistency,” said U.S. coach Joel Johnson. “The moment that anybody feels like they know Hilary Knight as a player or as a person is the moment that they underestimate her. She is better as a person, better as a player than anybody ever gives her credit for.”

In 2019, looking ahead to Knight’s overtaking her record, Granato, who is now 50, told IIHF.com: “Hey, it’s very fitting that it’s Hilary. It’s very fitting. And it’s going to happen at some point, so I’m glad that it’s her. Really, from the bottom of my heart. The story is very neat. She came to my [youth hockey] camp. She wore my number because of me. We had interaction. So I’m very happy for her.”

Let’s take a shot at giving both Knight and Granato the credit they deserve as we compare and contrast aspects of their superlative careers. Side by side.

Making Olympic Magic

When Knight won her first Olympic gold medal in 2018, she told reporters: “I was jumping up and down on my couch 20 years ago, cheering on Cammi Granato.” The PyeongChang victory, of course, ended a U.S. Olympic drought dating back to the inaugural 1998 tournament in Nagano where Granato’s golden captaincy inspired Knight. In 2018, she drew first blood in the 3-2 final shootout victory over archrival Canada with a late first-period power play goal.

Both these icons endured their share of Winter Games-related heartache, too.

Granato also captained the 2002 U.S. team that lost the Salt Lake City final 3-2 as Jayna Hefford potted Canada’s winner. And Granato was shockingly cut in 2005 in the lead-up to Turin, ending her storied international career.

At age 20, Knight suffered a 2-0 loss to the Canadians, paced by Marie-Philip Poulin’s pair, in the 2010 Vancouver final. Knight was in the penalty box for tripping Hayley Wickenheiser when Poulin scored the 3-2 overtime goal that completed Canada’s jaw-dropping comeback in the 2014 Sochi gold medal game.

Wowing Women’s Worlds Fans

In a nutshell, Granato’s skill, grit, and sheer persistence laid the foundation for the championship culture USA Hockey has established during the Knight era.

Canada won a record eight straight Women’s Worlds from 1990 to 2004, crushing Granato’s dreams – until 2005, that is. A 1-0 shootout win over Canada in Linkoping, Sweden finally gave the two-time tournament scoring leader (1992, 2001) her first Women’s Worlds gold.

Knight, who’s won the tournament scoring title four times (2011, 2015, 2016, 2019) and been named MVP twice (2015, 2016), has only twice tasted the pain of silver at Women’s Worlds (2007, 2012). Otherwise, it’s been an avalanche of gold. Her eight gold medals are tied with recently retired teammate Kacey Bellamy for second-most behind Canada’s Danielle Goyette (nine).

Here’s an interesting footnote about Granato and Knight’s shared record of 44 Women’s Worlds goals: Granato achieved the feat in just 43 games, while Knight took 54 games. Different eras, different paces.

Piling Up National Team Records

Knight’s all-time 11 Women’s Worlds are now tops among Americans, surpassing Angela Ruggiero and Jenny Potter (10), and two ahead of Granato (nine). However, according to USA Hockey statistics, Granato’s all-time national team-leading points total – including non-IIHF events such as the Four Nations Cup – sits at 343, while Knight was at 206 prior to these Women’s Worlds. That’s a gap that may be hard to bridge.

Making Jersey #21 Famous

Why does Knight wear #21? Waggishly, you could say it’s because Tony Granato did. Cammi Granato originally donned the number as a tribute to her older brother, a 774-game NHLer, three-time men’s Worlds participant, 1988 Olympian, and coach of the 2018 U.S. Olympic men’s team. Not only does Knight pay tribute to Cammi Granato with the number on the back of her jersey, but she also has 21 tattooed on her left forearm.

Pushing For Equity in Women’s Hockey

In 2000, Granato initiated a bid for equitable treatment from USA Hockey. Although the women’s team’s efforts back then were not successful, Knight, along with leaders like Kendall Coyne Schofield and Meghan Duggan, picked up the mantle in 2017.

The national team said it would sit out the Women’s Worlds in Plymouth, Michigan if a new collective agreement was not struck. This time, the negotiations bore fruit, and the Americans went on to win gold that year on Knight’s 3-2 OT goal versus Canada.

On the eve of the 2021 tournament, ESPN’s Emily Kaplan and The Athletic’s Hailey Salvian reported respectively that the national team had signed another contract with USA Hockey through August 2022, including bonuses for Olympic medal performances.

Meanwhile, Knight also advocates for a sustainable future for pro women’s hockey as a board member with the 2019-founded Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA).

Bringing Pride to Chicago

Chicago is a traditional hotbed of hockey talent. It’s about 45 minutes by car to travel between the Windy City suburbs that claim Knight and Granato. Granato hails from Downers Grove. Knight, who was born in Palo Alto, California and calls Sun Valley, Idaho her hometown, began learning hockey at age five when her family moved to Lake Forest, Illinois.

Adding Media Visibility to the Sport

Naturally, those post-Olympic gold medal TV appearances are glamorous. Granato went on The Late Show with David Letterman in 1998 with U.S. goalie Sarah Tueting. She was excited to meet musical guest Sarah McLachlan. In 2018, Knight made the rounds too, from Saturday Night Live to Ellen to The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. 

Yet it goes further. Granato, who is married to TSN and ESPN analyst Ray Ferraro, spent a year as an L.A. Kings color commentator in 1998. She also did rinkside reporting for NBC. In September 2019, she made history as the NHL’s first female pro scout for the expansion Seattle Kraken, but you can’t rule out the possibility that she’ll return to broadcasting someday.

As for Knight’s media future, who knows? But women’s hockey reporters attest that she’s right up there with the likes of former U.S. captain Julie Chu when it comes to world-class quotes.

Having Hall of Fame Careers

Granato joined Angela James and Geraldine Heaney in the first class of women inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame during the IIHF’s 2008 centennial celebrations in Quebec City. Two years later, Granato cracked the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

Knight? Not yet. But it is entirely safe to say that whenever she hangs up her skates, she is destined for both those institutions. And once again, she will find herself side by side with her childhood idol – this time for good.