Claire Thompson retires from hockey to pursue medical career
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Oct 1, 2026, 12:16 PM
Last updated Oct 1, 2026
Claire Thompson, a Canadian Olympic gold medalist and PWHL Walter Cup champion, has officially retired from hockey. The 28-year-old announced her decision to return to medical school and pursue a career in orthopedic surgery. Thompson, who played for Team Canada and the Vancouver Goldeneyes, put her medical career on hold for two years while preparing for the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics. After winning a silver medal at the Olympic women’s hockey tournament and leading her PWHL team, she concluded that it was time to focus on her long-term goals in medicine.
- •Thompson is returning to NYU Grossman for medical school.
- •She won a gold medal at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
- •Thompson led Canadian defenders with 13 points in the tournament.
- •She played for the PWHL's Vancouver Goldeneyes this season.
- •Thompson chose her medical career over continuing as a professional athlete.
- 12:16 PMYahoo Sports — Olympic, Walter Cup champion Claire Thompson retires from hockey in pursuit of medical career
"Canadian Olympic gold medalist and PWHL Walter Cup champion Claire Thompson has officially retired from hockey and has returned to medical school, she announced in an exclusive interview with The Athletic. Thompson, 28, put her medical career on hold for two years in pursuit of representing Canada at the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics. After winning a silver medal at the Olympic women’s hockey tournament and leading the PWHL’s expansion Vancouver Goldeneyes in its inaugural 2025-26 season, Thompson
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