Olympic Hockey Star Claire Thompson Retires at 28 for Surprising Career Change

Claire Thompson‘s journey in professional hockey has reached its final buzzer as she hangs up her skates to pursue her medical career full-time.

The star Canadian defender shared the news on social media and in an interview with The Athletic.

“Hockey, ily forever,” the star defender wrote in the caption of her Instagram post. “24 seasons later, I’m officially retired. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of my journey!”

 

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A post shared by Claire Thompson (@clairethomps98)

For years, Thompson balanced hockey with academics. The Toronto native and Princeton alumna helped Team Canada win Olympic gold at the 2022 Beijing Games and followed it up with a silver medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

After sitting out the inaugural PWHL campaign to focus on her studies, Thompson entered the league in its second season and instantly made an impact and showed her value as a player. She earned Second Team All-Star honors and captured a Walter Cup title with the Minnesota Frost, putting up 18 points across 30 games. This past year, she joined the expansion Vancouver Goldeneyes, tallying 17 points in 28 contests.

On social media and on her Instagram post, fans and former teammates expressed their support for Thompson’s decision.

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Emily Clark, a PWHL Hamilton player, wrote in a comment: “It was an honour to play with you, Claire! Sending you a bouquet of corn on the cob.” Nina Jobst-Smith, a player for PWHL Detroit, wrote: “So thankful for my first year in the pros was with and not against you. Onto another big thing!! Goo DR Tommer,” while PWHL Sirens player Micah Zandee-Hart wrote, “Never a dull moment getting to play with you Claire! Congratulations on an incredible career.”

Despite her success on the ice, Thompson said in the interview that her lifelong ambition has been calling her away from the rink and she wants to pursue orthopedic surgery.

“A career in medicine has always been an overarching goal of mine, and I feel that now is the best time in my life to step away from hockey,” Thompson told The Athletic. “I have achieved far more than I could have ever hoped for, and I feel like I’m ready to step away and continue on the long road ahead of becoming an orthopedic surgeon.”