Maddie Rooney is one of the returning heroines from PyeongChang 2018.
photo: Andre Ringuette / HHOF-IIHF Images
Defending Olympic women’s ice hockey champion USA announced their Olympic team already some weeks ago, and while it’s worth noting the players who will be representing their country, it’s also constructive to consider those names in a bigger context.
In a perfect world, the Americans will not only select their best players, they will also have done everything possible to ensure those players are at the peak of their careers. That means every four years is a cycle. You peak at the Olympics, and then at the next World Championship start constructing a team that can win that year but that can also help develop players to be at their finest four years later. So let’s have a look at the 2022 team in the context of the 2018 gold-medal team and the 2021 Women’s Worlds silver team. Who is returning? Who is not?
Cayla Barnes – One of her country’s finest young players, the 23-year-old defender won three straight golds at the U18 women’s tournament, won gold again in PyeongChang and the 2019 WW, and then had to settle for silver last year.
Kacey Bellamy – Bellamy retired just before the start of the 2019 Women’s Worlds, suggesting her heart wasn’t in the game any longer. She had played on the 2018 Olympic team and won seven gold medals at WW, so she left on the highest note possible.
Megan Bozek – The 30-year-old has been part of the American defence for a decade. Although she was cut from the 2018 team, she persevered and was back again for 2019 and 2021. She had played at the 2014 Olympics as well.
Hannah Brandt – Brandt, like Bozek, played her first senior event at the 2012 WW in Burlington, Vermont. She also was on the 2018 team but missed the 2021 WW because of injury.
Natalie Buchbinder – She was on the roster for the 2021 Women’s Worlds (didn’t see game action) but was cut from the Olympic team last November as coach Joel Johnson decided to make a change. She returned to her NCAA team at the University of Wisconsin.
Dani Cameranesi – Fully established as a top player, Cameranesi has been with the senior team since the 2018 Olympics, and she’ll make her second appearance at the Games in February.
Alex Carpenter – Carpenter led her team with five goals at the 2021 Women’s Worlds and now has 22 points in 34 WW games since 2013.
Alex Cavallini – Some fans might know her more easily as Alex Rigsby, her maiden name, but she has been a fixture in goal pretty much since 2013. She was the winning goalie in the 2016 and 2019 gold-medal games against Canada. She’s not going anywhere.
Jesse Compher – Still only 21, Compher played at the 2019 and ’21 WW and needed only two years between her WW18 career and moving up to the senior level.
Kendall Coyne Schofield – The leader and best player on the team, Coyne Schofield is in her prime now. The 29-year-old is the all-time points leader in WW18 play and is quickly moving to the top of the WW level as well.
Britta Curl – Despite playing three games at the 2021 Women’s Worlds, Curl was cut from the Olympic team in December. But she is only 21 and will likely be back at some point in the future.
Brianna Decker – Tied for fifth on the all-time scoring list in Women’s Worlds play, Decker is the straw that stirs the U.S. women’s hockey drink. She’ll be in the lineup as long as she has the interest and desire.
Meagan Duggan – Duggan wore the “C” in 2018 and retired soon after. Her skates are impossible to fill, but coach Joel Johnson has had plenty of time to prepare for Olympic life without her.
Jincy Dunne – Dunne had a sensational U18 career but then took six years to make it to the senior team, which she did in 2021. She is now going to her first Olympics and promises to be a top defender for many years to come.
Lacey Eden – Like Curl, Eden was cut from the Olympic roster in December. But she is only 19 and played at the 2021 Women’s Worlds. Her career is just beginning.
Kali Flanagan – The Boston College alumna played in 2017 and 2018 but hasn’t played for USA Hockey since in an IIHF event. The defender continues to play with the PWHPA, hoping to get another chance at some point, but it won’t be in Beijing.
Aerin Frankel – A 21-year-old goalie, Frankel was the third ‘tender at the 2021 WW but didn’t get into a game. But the team already has Cavallini, Hensley, and Rooney, so Frankel won’t be going to Beijing.
Savannah Harmon – A feel-good story, Harmon played at Clarkson University but appeared in her first IIHF event at the 2021 Women’s Worlds at age 25. Now, she’s off to her first Olympics.
Caroline Harvey – Harvey was only 18 when she played at the 2021 WW in Calgary last year, and now, at 19, the defender is prepping for her first Olympics.
Nicole Hensley – Veteran goalie Hensley was in net for the gold-medal loss in Calgary last year, but she was also the winning goalie in 2017. She, Cavallini, and Rooney will be vying for precious playing time.
Megan Keller – One of the team’s lynchpins on the blue line since 2015, Keller will get plenty of ice time and, along with Lee Stecklein, will be counted on heavily by coach Joel Johnson.
Amanda Kessel – After concussion problems at the 2014 Olympics, Kessel didn’t play at the IIHF level for three years, but she’s back on track now and is an important part of the team’s offense.
Hilary Knight – The all-time goal-scoring leader at the Women’s Worlds, Knight is a power forward with a big shot and the ability to score big goals. As she goes, so goes the offense.
Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson & Monique Lamoureux-Morando – Two of the heroes from 2018, the twins retired after the 2018 Olympics with gold medals around their necks. Life goes on, of course, but replacing their skill and experience at the Olympic level will be difficult.
Gigi Marvin – Marvin officially retired just last December, but she hadn’t played at the top level since 2018 in PyeongChang. Versatile and skilled, she will be another tough act to follow.
Sidney Morin – The defender has played for several years in Sweden but her only senior event with the Americans was the 2018 Olympics.
Abbey Murphy – Only 19, Murphy is a very rare example of a North American who played WW18 one year and WW the next. In fact, her Women’s Worlds debut came just last year, and the youngster is now off to her first Olympics.
Kelly Pannek – The versatile forward has been a fixture on the team since 2017, and that includes the 2018 Olympics.
Amanda Pelkey – A forward with the Olympic team four years ago, Pelkey hasn’t been able to crack the deep lineup since, and she won’t be in Beijing this time ‘round.
Emily Pfalzer Matheson – She played for the U.S. every year between 2015 and 2019, but didn’t play in 2021 and won’t be at the Olympics. Like the cross-border marriage of Cammi Granato and Ray Ferraro, Pfalzer is married to Pittsburgh Penguins’ Canadian defenceman Mike Matheson.
Maddie Rooney – The winning goalie from 2018, Rooney is back to work her magic in the blue ice again. She also played at the 2017 and 2019 Women’s Worlds.
Abby Roque – A story in perseverance, Roque played at the 2014 and 2015 WW18, but it wasn’t until last year she played her first senior tournament. She impressed, and will be on the ice in Beijing next month.
Hayley Scamurra – Scamurra made her mark at the 2019 and ’21 Women’s Worlds and played her way into the Olympic lineup last fall with strong performances during several games against Canada.
Haley Skarupa – A victim of the changing of the guard after 2018, Skarupa helped her team win gold in PyeongChang but hasn’t played at any WW events since.
Lee Stecklein – A stud on the blue line, Stecklein can play big minutes, go up against the best her opponents have to offer, and lead the team through inspired play. She has played for USA Hockey every year since 2011 (except 2020 when COVID-19 shut down the WW).
Grace Zumwinkle – One of the game’s most exciting young players, Zumwinkle is exactly the kind of player who is expected to pick up the slack for the retired players from 2018. At 22, she can skate and score and is only just starting to reach her full potential.
In a perfect world, the Americans will not only select their best players, they will also have done everything possible to ensure those players are at the peak of their careers. That means every four years is a cycle. You peak at the Olympics, and then at the next World Championship start constructing a team that can win that year but that can also help develop players to be at their finest four years later. So let’s have a look at the 2022 team in the context of the 2018 gold-medal team and the 2021 Women’s Worlds silver team. Who is returning? Who is not?
Cayla Barnes – One of her country’s finest young players, the 23-year-old defender won three straight golds at the U18 women’s tournament, won gold again in PyeongChang and the 2019 WW, and then had to settle for silver last year.
Kacey Bellamy – Bellamy retired just before the start of the 2019 Women’s Worlds, suggesting her heart wasn’t in the game any longer. She had played on the 2018 Olympic team and won seven gold medals at WW, so she left on the highest note possible.
Megan Bozek – The 30-year-old has been part of the American defence for a decade. Although she was cut from the 2018 team, she persevered and was back again for 2019 and 2021. She had played at the 2014 Olympics as well.
Hannah Brandt – Brandt, like Bozek, played her first senior event at the 2012 WW in Burlington, Vermont. She also was on the 2018 team but missed the 2021 WW because of injury.
Natalie Buchbinder – She was on the roster for the 2021 Women’s Worlds (didn’t see game action) but was cut from the Olympic team last November as coach Joel Johnson decided to make a change. She returned to her NCAA team at the University of Wisconsin.
Dani Cameranesi – Fully established as a top player, Cameranesi has been with the senior team since the 2018 Olympics, and she’ll make her second appearance at the Games in February.
Alex Carpenter – Carpenter led her team with five goals at the 2021 Women’s Worlds and now has 22 points in 34 WW games since 2013.
Alex Cavallini – Some fans might know her more easily as Alex Rigsby, her maiden name, but she has been a fixture in goal pretty much since 2013. She was the winning goalie in the 2016 and 2019 gold-medal games against Canada. She’s not going anywhere.
Jesse Compher – Still only 21, Compher played at the 2019 and ’21 WW and needed only two years between her WW18 career and moving up to the senior level.
Kendall Coyne Schofield – The leader and best player on the team, Coyne Schofield is in her prime now. The 29-year-old is the all-time points leader in WW18 play and is quickly moving to the top of the WW level as well.
Britta Curl – Despite playing three games at the 2021 Women’s Worlds, Curl was cut from the Olympic team in December. But she is only 21 and will likely be back at some point in the future.
Brianna Decker – Tied for fifth on the all-time scoring list in Women’s Worlds play, Decker is the straw that stirs the U.S. women’s hockey drink. She’ll be in the lineup as long as she has the interest and desire.
Meagan Duggan – Duggan wore the “C” in 2018 and retired soon after. Her skates are impossible to fill, but coach Joel Johnson has had plenty of time to prepare for Olympic life without her.
Jincy Dunne – Dunne had a sensational U18 career but then took six years to make it to the senior team, which she did in 2021. She is now going to her first Olympics and promises to be a top defender for many years to come.
Lacey Eden – Like Curl, Eden was cut from the Olympic roster in December. But she is only 19 and played at the 2021 Women’s Worlds. Her career is just beginning.
Kali Flanagan – The Boston College alumna played in 2017 and 2018 but hasn’t played for USA Hockey since in an IIHF event. The defender continues to play with the PWHPA, hoping to get another chance at some point, but it won’t be in Beijing.
Aerin Frankel – A 21-year-old goalie, Frankel was the third ‘tender at the 2021 WW but didn’t get into a game. But the team already has Cavallini, Hensley, and Rooney, so Frankel won’t be going to Beijing.
Savannah Harmon – A feel-good story, Harmon played at Clarkson University but appeared in her first IIHF event at the 2021 Women’s Worlds at age 25. Now, she’s off to her first Olympics.
Caroline Harvey – Harvey was only 18 when she played at the 2021 WW in Calgary last year, and now, at 19, the defender is prepping for her first Olympics.
Nicole Hensley – Veteran goalie Hensley was in net for the gold-medal loss in Calgary last year, but she was also the winning goalie in 2017. She, Cavallini, and Rooney will be vying for precious playing time.
Megan Keller – One of the team’s lynchpins on the blue line since 2015, Keller will get plenty of ice time and, along with Lee Stecklein, will be counted on heavily by coach Joel Johnson.
Amanda Kessel – After concussion problems at the 2014 Olympics, Kessel didn’t play at the IIHF level for three years, but she’s back on track now and is an important part of the team’s offense.
Hilary Knight – The all-time goal-scoring leader at the Women’s Worlds, Knight is a power forward with a big shot and the ability to score big goals. As she goes, so goes the offense.
Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson & Monique Lamoureux-Morando – Two of the heroes from 2018, the twins retired after the 2018 Olympics with gold medals around their necks. Life goes on, of course, but replacing their skill and experience at the Olympic level will be difficult.
Gigi Marvin – Marvin officially retired just last December, but she hadn’t played at the top level since 2018 in PyeongChang. Versatile and skilled, she will be another tough act to follow.
Sidney Morin – The defender has played for several years in Sweden but her only senior event with the Americans was the 2018 Olympics.
Abbey Murphy – Only 19, Murphy is a very rare example of a North American who played WW18 one year and WW the next. In fact, her Women’s Worlds debut came just last year, and the youngster is now off to her first Olympics.
Kelly Pannek – The versatile forward has been a fixture on the team since 2017, and that includes the 2018 Olympics.
Amanda Pelkey – A forward with the Olympic team four years ago, Pelkey hasn’t been able to crack the deep lineup since, and she won’t be in Beijing this time ‘round.
Emily Pfalzer Matheson – She played for the U.S. every year between 2015 and 2019, but didn’t play in 2021 and won’t be at the Olympics. Like the cross-border marriage of Cammi Granato and Ray Ferraro, Pfalzer is married to Pittsburgh Penguins’ Canadian defenceman Mike Matheson.
Maddie Rooney – The winning goalie from 2018, Rooney is back to work her magic in the blue ice again. She also played at the 2017 and 2019 Women’s Worlds.
Abby Roque – A story in perseverance, Roque played at the 2014 and 2015 WW18, but it wasn’t until last year she played her first senior tournament. She impressed, and will be on the ice in Beijing next month.
Hayley Scamurra – Scamurra made her mark at the 2019 and ’21 Women’s Worlds and played her way into the Olympic lineup last fall with strong performances during several games against Canada.
Haley Skarupa – A victim of the changing of the guard after 2018, Skarupa helped her team win gold in PyeongChang but hasn’t played at any WW events since.
Lee Stecklein – A stud on the blue line, Stecklein can play big minutes, go up against the best her opponents have to offer, and lead the team through inspired play. She has played for USA Hockey every year since 2011 (except 2020 when COVID-19 shut down the WW).
Grace Zumwinkle – One of the game’s most exciting young players, Zumwinkle is exactly the kind of player who is expected to pick up the slack for the retired players from 2018. At 22, she can skate and score and is only just starting to reach her full potential.