Canadian defender Meaghan Mikkelson, a mainstay of Team Canada’s blueline for almost fifteen years and almost as many Olympic, World Championship and club titles, confirmed her retirement from the sport, taking on a broadcasting role with the NHL’s Calgary Flames.

Mikkelson began her career with the University of Wisconsin, helping the Badgers to back to back NCAA titles in 2006 and 2007. Turning pro in the WWHL, Mikkelson would join the modern CWHL iteration in 2015, spending two seasons with the Calgary Inferno and capturing the 2016 Clarkson Cup, making her an unofficial member of the Triple Gold Club. Following the CWHL’s closure, Mikkelson would capture a Swedish SDHL championship with Luleå in 2018, but would see limited participation in the PWHPA, due both to injury concerns and parental responsibilities, not seeing any pro action since 2020.

An Edmonton-area native, Mikkelson jumped straight to the senior team at the 2008 Women’s Worlds, her first of eight total appearances, medalling at each one, with Golden victories in 2012 and 2022, the latter serving as her final Team Canada appearance. Mikkelson also won with six Silver Worlds medals in 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2016 and 2017, getting tournament All-Star and Top Defender honours in 2011. Mikkelson is also a three-time Olympian, capturing Gold in both 2010 and 2014, along with a Silver medal from 2018, and is a five-time Nations Cup medalist, capturing two Gold (2009, 2010) and three Silver (2008, 2012, 2017) medals in her illustrious career.

Mikkelson captured the IHLC a staggering nineteen times in her career, first in the lead-up to her Worlds debut in 2008, with the final coming at her Worlds swan song fourteen years later, capturing her final Gold medal. We wish Meaghan and her family the very best for her retirement and the things to come!

Photo Credit: Meaghan Mikkelson – IIHF – HHOF – IOC