Claire Thompson retires from hockey to return to medical school
The Vancouver Goldeneyes defender leaves the PWHL at 28 after winning the 2025 Walter Cup with Minnesota.
Vancouver Goldeneyes defender Claire Thompson has retired from professional hockey to resume medical school, TSN reported on Thursday, Oct. 1, citing her interview with The Athletic’s Hailey Salvian.
Thompson, 28, told Salvian she had returned to NYU Grossman School of Medicine and intends to become an orthopaedic surgeon. She said she feels ready to pursue that career despite remaining physically capable of playing at a high level.
Minnesota selected Thompson third overall in the 2024 PWHL draft. She helped the Frost win the Walter Cup in 2025 and was a finalist for the league’s Defender of the Year award that season.
She became Vancouver’s first signing in June 2025 and played for the Goldeneyes in their inaugural season.
Thompson recorded four goals and 18 points in 30 regular-season games for Minnesota in 2024-25, followed by four goals and 17 points in 28 games for Vancouver in 2025-26. Those seasons give her career regular-season totals of eight goals and 35 points in 58 games.
She also won Olympic gold with Canada in 2022.
