Women’s ice hockey has two big international stages, the Winter Olympics, held every four years, and the IIHF Women’s World Championship, held almost every year.
Since the sport became an Olympic event in 1998, Canada and the United States have won every single Olympic gold medal between them, and the rivalry between the two countries has produced most of the greatest players the sport has ever seen.
Now, we will rank the top 10 most successful players in women’s hockey history, based on Olympic and World Championship medals.
Top 10 Greatest Women’s Hockey Players
| Rank | Player | Country | Position | Career Medals |
| 1 | Hayley Wickenheiser | Canada | Forward | 4 Olympic Gold, 1 Silver; 7 World Gold |
| 2 | Marie-Philip Poulin | Canada | Forward | 3 Olympic Gold, 2 Silver; 4 World Gold |
| 3 | Hilary Knight | USA | Forward | 2 Olympic Gold, 3 Silver; 10 World Gold |
| 4 | Angela James | Canada | Forward | 4 World Gold |
| 5 | Cammi Granato | USA | Forward | 1 Olympic Gold, 1 Silver; 1 World Gold |
| 6 | Jayna Hefford | Canada | Forward | 4 Olympic Gold, 1 Silver; 7 World Gold |
| 7 | Caroline Ouellette | Canada | Forward | 4 Olympic Gold (perfect record); 6 World Gold |
| 8 | Angela Ruggiero | USA | Defence | 1 Olympic Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze; 4 World Gold |
| 9 | Meghan Agosta | Canada | Forward | 3 Olympic Gold, 1 Silver; 2 World Gold |
| 10 | Jenni Hiirikoski | Finland | Defence | 3 Olympic Bronze; 1 World Silver, 8 World Bronze |
1. Hayley Wickenheiser
Hayley Wickenheiser played for Canada for 23 years, winning four Olympic golds and seven World Championship golds. She was twice named Olympic MVP in 2002, 2006.
When she retired in 2017, she was the all-time leading scorer in both Olympic and World Championship history. Wickenheiser became a doctor after retiring, completing medical school in 2021. She now works as Assistant General Manager for the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs.
2. Marie-Philip Poulin
Marie Poulin has scored the game-winning goal in three different Olympic gold medal games, 2010, 2014, and 2022.
She has 3 Olympic golds, 4 World Championship golds, and became captain of Team Canada in 2015.
At the February 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, Poulin broke Wickenheiser’s Olympic career goals record, becoming the all-time leading goal-scorer in women’s Olympic hockey with 20 career goals.
3. Hilary Knight
Hilary Knight holds more World Championship gold medals than any player in history, and also holds the records for goals, assists, and points at that tournament. At the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics, her fifth and announced-as-final Games, Knight scored the tying goal late in the third period of the gold medal game against Canada, and the USA went on to win 2-1 in overtime.
It was her second Olympic gold to go with three silvers, and it made her the first American hockey player to compete in five Olympics and the all-time leading Olympic goal-scorer in U.S. hockey history.
4. Angela James
Angela James was the first true superstar of women’s hockey. She was nicknamed ‘the Wayne Gretzky of women’s hockey’ for her powerful shot and physical style; she led Canada to four straight World Championship golds. She was controversially left off Canada’s roster for the first-ever Olympic women’s hockey tournament in 1998.
In 2010, James became one of the first women ever inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
5. Cammi Granato
Cammi Granato captained the United States to the first-ever Olympic gold medal in women’s hockey at the 1998 Nagano Games and remains Team USA’s all-time leading scorer with 343 points. Cammi Granato works as an NHL broadcaster and currently serves as an Assistant General Manager for the Vancouver Canucks.
6. Jayna Hefford
Jayna Hefford won four straight Olympic golds and famously scored Canada’s gold-medal-winning goal at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games with just one second left in the second period. Across three different club leagues in Canada, she scored an incredible 439 goals in 418 games.
Jayna Hefford is currently Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations for the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), helping shape the sport’s newest professional league.
7. Caroline Ouellette
Caroline Ouellette has one of the most remarkable records in Olympic history; she played in four Olympics and won gold in every single one. She also won six World Championship golds and is now an assistant coach for the Montreal Victoire of the PWHL, passing her championship experience on to the next generation.
8. Angela Ruggiero
A rare offence-minded defender, Angela Ruggiero played more games for Team USA than anyone else in history, winning one Olympic gold, two silvers, and a bronze across four Olympics, plus four World Championship golds.
Angela Ruggiero was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015 and served on the International Olympic Committee. She now runs a sports data company and worked as an analyst for NBC’s coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics.
9. Meghan Agosta
Meghan Agosta won three Olympic golds with Canada and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player at the 2010 Vancouver Games after leading all scorers with nine goals.
Agosta retired from Team Canada in February 2024. She has combined hockey with a career as a police constable with the Vancouver Police Department since 2014.
10. Jenni Hiirikoski
Finland’s captain since 2011, Jenni Hiirikoski is regarded as one of the greatest defenders in the sport’s history, winning the IIHF’s Best Defencewoman award seven times.
She helped Finland win three Olympic bronze medals. At the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics, her tournament ended early when she suffered an upper-body injury requiring surgery during Finland’s final group-stage game.
