“Women’s hockey has never been better” Michelle Karvinen finds new fire in the PWHL and dreams of Olympic gold 2026

When Michelle Karvinen When she saw her older brother play ice hockey for the first time, she did what many younger siblings do instinctively: follow in his footsteps. She picked up a stick, fell in love with the sport and has been skating ever since.

But what Karvinen didn’t know at the time was that the sport she loved didn’t have a professional path for women.

Not yet, at least.

“I thought there was a women’s version of the NHL, but when I found out it wasn’t a thing, it broke my heart a little bit,” she told Olympics.com in an exclusive interview in Vancouver. “I doubted whether I would ever experience that again in my career. So I am lucky that I am still playing and can still experience it.”

Now 35, Karvinen is on the eve of a new chapter. The attacker is preparing for her first season in the Professional women’s hockey league (PWHL) as a member of the league’s newest franchise, the Vancouver Goldeneyes, one of two expansion teams that will make their debut when the Campaign 2025-2026 opens on November 21. Fittingly enough, their first opponents will be the league’s other newcomers, the Seattle Torrent.

Even as she enters this new professional era, Karvinen keeps another ambition firmly in her sights. She is chasing a fifth Winter Olympics next year Milano Cortina 2026 Gamesa tournament that she believes could be the most competitive edition yet.

“Women’s ice hockey has never been better. You will see women’s hockey at a level it has never been before. It will be fast, it will be creative, it will be physical, and it will be very exciting to watch.”

And if her new team name is any hint, this Goldeneye has her eyes firmly set on gold with Team Finland. Read on for her full conversation with Olympics.com.

*As the National Olympic Committees have exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Winter Olympic Games, athletes’ participation in Milano Cortina 2026 depends on the choice of their NOC to represent their delegation.