NEW YORK (AP) — The pull to return to medical school prompted decorated women's hockey player Claire Thompson to announce her retirement Thursday at age 28.
The Toronto native, who won Olympic and world championship gold with Canada and the PWHL's Walter Cup with Minnesota, is back at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine to pursue her goal of becoming an orthopedic surgeon.
“It was a long time coming,” Thompson said. “I definitely knew
my goal was to become a doctor, and just thinking about the timeline to get there and eventually to become an orthopedic surgeon, I knew kind of going into this last year and into this summer that my plan was to return to school and continue down that path.”
Thompson was a revelation at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, where she set a tournament record in points by a defender with two goals and 11 assists. Thompson, who also led all players in plus-minus at 23, was named to the tournament all-star team.
“I really just feel very fortunate to have been on very successful teams. Hockey is a team sport after all,” Thompson said. “It really involves being in the right place at the right time, surrounded by the right people. I just feel a lot of gratitude to have been able to experience all those things.”
She compiled seven goals and 32 assists in 63 career games for Canada.
Thompson pressed pause on medical school in 2024 after two years of studies to go all-in on hockey.
She won the Walter Cup with the PWHL’s Minnesota Frost before becoming the first signing in Vancouver Goldeneyes history.
Thompson had eight goals and 27 assists in 58 games over her two PWHL seasons. She contributed six assists in eight playoff games to the Frost’s championship in 2025.
“I feel very grateful to have had a very successful career, but I feel like I’m most proud of the work that was done by everyone during my time,” Thompson said.
“Where professional women’s hockey was when I was starting hockey and where it is at today, and to be able to play any small role in the development of professional women’s hockey in North America, is something that I’ll always be very proud of.”
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