Team USA announces roster for 2026 Women’s World Championship

Plymouth, Michigan — Team USA has unveiled its roster for the upcoming IIHF Women’s World Championship, an event marking the national team's return to a major tournament after their gold medal win at the 2026 Milan Olympics. Twenty players from the 2026 Olympic champion squad will rejoin the team, with all seven defensemen returning.

Leading the roster is Caroline Harvey, the top pick in the 2026 PWHL, who has recently earned Olympic MVP honors, an NCAA championship, and the Patty Kazmaier Award. Alongside Harvey are Laila Edwards, who scored the golden goal in overtime against Canada in Milan, and Megan Keller, who also scored that winning goal. New to the roster is Emma Peschel, a defensive newcomer drafted by the New York Sirens.

The attack features 11 forwards from the Milan roster, including captain Hilary Knight (playing in his 16th world championship), Abby Murphy, Hannah Bilka, Kelly Pannek, and Taylor Fox. Ohio State's Joy Dunne, who scored eight goals in 10 college games in 2024, enters the tournament with high expectations. Notably, Kendall Coyne Schofield and Britta Curl-Salemme are absent from the roster, with no official explanation provided.

Casey O'Brien, Jesse Compher, and Lacey Eden have been added to the roster, with O'Brien and Compher set to make their major tournament debuts. Head coach John Wroblewski praised O'Brien and Compher's performances during pre-tournament competitions, hinting at their potential impact. The U.S. women's team will face off against Switzerland in their first match on November 6 in Esbjerg, Denmark, with all 10 teams evenly divided into two groups for the tournament.