Team USA has announced its 23-woman roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, and a North Texas native was selected.
Hannah Bilka currently plays in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) for the Seattle Torrent.
Bilka played for the Dallas Stars Elite youth academy in her earlier career. One night, at just 10 years old, she and her team got to take the ice and play in between periods during a Dallas Stars game.
Bilka attended Coppell ISD schools, and she and her family still have ties there.
Recently, she was back in North Texas in a matchup against the New York Sirens. It was all part of their Takeover Tour at large venues across the country. More than 8,000 people showed up to the game, considered a success, as the PWHL continues to drum up support for the women in the game.
While it was a sure thing, Bilka was already on the radar of Team USA when she was the only Texan chosen to represent the United States during a recent “Rivalry Series” against Canada.
It was during the series that she had three assists, and Team USA swept all four games. Coaches were able to see what these players were made of. In a sense, it was a tryout for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina.
This will be Bilka’s first Winter Olympics, just missing the cut for Beijing in 2022.
Most of the players chosen for the Winter Olympics squad were on the 2025 U.S. Women’s National Team that won gold at the 2025 IIHF Women’s World Championship. Nearly a dozen of them are returning members of the 2022 U.S. Olympic Women’s Hockey Team that won silver in 2022.
Team USA opens Olympic competition with a preliminary round game against Czechia on Feb. 5 at Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena.
The Winter Olympic Opening Ceremony begins on Friday, Feb. 6.