For all the focus on the United States’ young and retooled roster, it was who else but Hilary Knight the team’s most experienced and accomplished star who played a pivotal role in securing her nation’s 10th women’s world hockey championships gold medal and first in four years.

The 33-year-old Knight scored three times, including the go-ahead goal with 3:10 left in regulation, in a 6-3 win over Canada, and on their cross-border rival’s home soil in suburban Toronto on Sunday.

Apologizing for her voice being hoarse from a celebration that featured the Americans singing a rousing rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner," Knight broke into a smile and said, "Yeah, it’s been a while."

The Americans overcame three one-goal deficits and the sting of losing the past three gold-medal meetings against Canada the past two world championships and the 2022 Beijing Winter Games to reclaim gold for the first time since a 2-1 shootout win over Finland in 2019.

Source: Bahrain News Agency