Free of injuries, distractions, Hilary Knight regaining offensive touch in 2nd PWHL season

Hilary Knight was more impressed than surprised in discovering she was leading Professional Women's Hockey League forwards in ice time three months into the league's second season.

At 35 and one of the PWHL's oldest players, the face of U.S. women's hockey has always valued being someone capable of playing in every situation. In averaging nearly 22 minutes per game, the Boston Fleet captain also finds the playing time reassuring in putting to rest any questions following a drop in production last year.

It helps Knight is injury-free after being slowed by an ankle issue she chose not to address until last summer. What's also true is Knight can focus more on playing after no longer being consumed by feeling a need to shoulder the burden of ensuring the launch of a league she helped establish went off without a glitch.

"We can all kind of just go out there and play a little bit more than before, right?" Knight told The Associated Press during the Fleet's Takeover Tour stop in Buffalo last weekend. "You're not having to worry about all the overhead, what's going to happen and feeling responsible for a missed bus or whatever wrinkle arises."

It's liberating knowing the PWHL is in good hands. And the four-time Olympian and inaugural winner of the IIHF's female hockey player of the year in 2023 is enjoying the chance to skate pain-free again.

"I feel like I don't have as much tread on the tires considering how many minutes I have," Knight said. "You know, it's more fun where you can actually play the game that you're used to playing at the level you want to play at."

Last season, she finished tied for 31st with 11 points, and 14th with six goals while playing all 24 games. Knight failed to register a point in eight playoff