When the final horn sounded in Milan, Catholic hockey defenseman Haley Winn dropped her head in disbelief as her teammates poured off the bench and piled onto the ice to celebrate the Olympic gold.
A GOLDEN GOAL FOR GOLD! pic.twitter.com/oLDfElGnI9
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 19, 2026
In a phone interview from Milan with the Catholic Courier, the newspaper of the Diocese of Rochester, New York, Winn reflected on the 2–1 overtime win over Canada and shared how her faith and family carried her to hockey’s highest stage.
“It’s crazy to think about,” Winn said. “It’s so hard to put into words. Just to be a part of something so much bigger than myself, it’s so special. There’s been so many emotions — a lot of tears of joy, disbelief.”
The Americans dominated the 2026 Winter Games from start to finish, overwhelming opponents at both ends of the ice and outscoring them 33-2 over seven games. Winn logged significant minutes on defense in every contest and added a goal and three assists.
Throughout the tournament, Winn said, her Catholic faith remained her anchor. She and several teammates prayed together before each game.
“Christ is my identity, my foundation,” she said. “I think it’s the thing that keeps me grounded.”
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Winn’s journey to Olympic gold began on rinks in Rochester’s suburbs, according to the Catholic Courier’s report. Raised in Williamson and Webster, New York, she enrolled at Bishop Kearney High School, where she joined the BK Selects Hockey Academy — an elite program that draws players from across North America. Winn lived in dormitories on the top floor of the school, balancing classes, practices, and travel to tournaments across the U.S. and Canada.
After graduating in 2021, she developed into one of the top players in Division I women’s hockey at Clarkson University. As a senior, she served as co-captain, was named ECAC Player of the Year, and earned first-team All-American honors before being selected second overall in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) draft by the Boston Fleet.
At each stage, Winn told the Catholic Courier, her Catholic faith remained central.
In college, Winn joined a team Bible study group as a sophomore and later led the study herself. While at Bishop Kearney, she regularly attended Mass at St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Parish in Rochester, where she formed a close friendship with Father Robert Werth.
“He is amazing. I don’t have enough good things to say about him,” Winn told the Catholic Courier.
Fr. Werth described her as “the most humble person, maybe even a little shy.”
Winn also pointed to her family as foundational to her success.
“I wouldn’t be (an Olympic champion) without them,” Winn said of her parents, Janet and Mike, and her older brothers, Casey, Ryan, and Tommy. “It’s their medal as much as mine.”
During the Olympics, her brothers became unlikely fan favorites for their spirited outfits and social media videos, even earning an appearance on NBC’s “Today” show.
The Winn brothers — Casey, Ryan and Tommy — may have all played hockey in college, but it's their younger sister Haley who is representing Team USA in the sport at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. And they couldn't be more thrilled. https://t.co/Uuy89FNkg1
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) February 11, 2026
Meanwhile, the gold-medal game drew an average television audience of 5.3 million viewers — peaking at 7.7 million in overtime — making it the most-watched women’s hockey game on record, according to reports.
As her visibility grows beyond the rink, Winn said she hopes to use the attention with purpose.
“I am so blessed that God is using me to glorify him on this platform,” she said.