{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"At Even Strength: A Women's Hockey Podcast","title":"Hilary Knight Returns to Team USA, PWHL Gets a TV Deal & New York + Vancouver Season 4 Previews","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2530,"description":"NOTE: An earlier version of this episode implied Tereza Vanizova was no longer with the Vancouver Goldeneyes.\n\nSeason 4 is almost here — and this episode opens with breaking news. \nAs Erica L. Ayala and Rachel Donner were recording, USA Hockey dropped its 31-player training camp roster with a familiar name on it: Hilary Knight, listed as playing for PWHL Detroit. Erica confirmed with USA Hockey in real time — Knight is expected at both camps: the first runs September 13–19 in Minnesota, and the second October 23–30 in Plymouth, Michigan, in preparation for a USA vs. Canada game October 28th in Windsor. What everyone thought was a full retirement from international hockey appears to have been an Olympic retirement only.\nThen the news keeps coming. The PWHL officially has a US national broadcast partner: ION and Scripps Sports. That means a weekly Saturday Game of the Week on ION, two additional national games per week on Scripps Sports Network, and ION carrying the Walter Cup Finals and playoffs exclusively. Erica and Rachel break down what the ION model means for women's sports fans who already know what the network did for the WNBA — and what questions remain about the playoff format and broadcast rights.\nPlus, the PWHL preseason schedule is set: centralized hub tournaments in Las Vegas, Boston, Hamilton, and San Jose in late November before the regular season starts no earlier than December 2nd. Media and fan access details are still coming — but this is a significant step up from last year's closed scrimmages.\nThen it's the deep dives. New York Sirens first: a team that lost Kaylee Osborne, Taylor Girard, Kayla Vespa, Allyson Simpson, and a full line to San Jose in expansion, and a full line to San Jose in expansion — and responded by signing McKenna Webster (a 2025 draft pick returning from the US field hockey national team), Elaine Chuli, and first-round pick Emma Peschel out of Ohio State. Can Sarah Fillier, Casey O'Brien, and a rebuilt blue line carry them...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/kHL1ZWDjEmW3PqxgmqemS6lXnEpxyKdN_WqoRIhia98/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8zM2Zk/YTZmYjZjZTEwYmVh/MmI3MmQwZDE3OTNi/MjU5My5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}