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Former Teammates Celebrate Meghan Duggan’s Leadership, Legacy and Career

By USA Hockey, 10/15/20, 9:15AM EDT

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As Duggan retires, her former teammates give perspective on the impact she’s made

Meghan Duggan announced her retirement from the U.S. Women’s National Team on Tuesday (Oct. 13). In the spirit of Duggan’s tremendous career and lasting impact on hockey, former teammates shared appreciative messages of their time together spent on and off the ice.

Cayla Barnes, 2018 Olympic gold medalist—

Dugs, congratulations on such an amazing career! You have paved the way, impacted the next generation, and are an inspiring role model in our sport. Thank you for being such an amazing leader, friend, and teammate to me. No amount of thank you’s will ever be enough for all you have done to leave this sport better than you found it. You are going to be missed so much, but I know your story does not end here. Can’t wait to see what the future holds for you, and we all love you. 

Hannah Brandt, 2018 Olympic gold medalist —

Congrats, Megs, on such a successful career on and off the ice! I will be forever grateful for all the memories we shared together as teammates. Wishing you the best of luck on your next adventure, and thank you for everything you have done for women’s hockey!

Alex Rigsby Cavallini, 2018 Olympic gold medalist — 

Wow. Wow. Wow. Megs, congratulations on your retirement from an astonishing hockey career.

I am amazed at all that you have accomplished, from your time at Wisconsin winning the Patty and Natty (x3 – notta big deal) to leading Team USA through monumental contract negotiations and an OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL. It was truly an honor to play with you and learn from you during a fraction of your stellar career.

When I came into Wisconsin, it was a privilege to be in the same locker room as you. You were an absolute stud coming off your first Olympic Games and already a Badger legend. I will never forget the way you carried yourself on and off the ice not only at Wisconsin but with Team USA as well. You made those around you not only want to be better athletes but better humans, too.

I know you have only scratched your potential in this world, and I know you will continue to lead and compete in whatever your next venture is. You have made an impact, not only on my life but also in the hockey world, women’s athletics, and beyond.

I hope you enjoy your retirement, and you look back on your career with so much pride in everything you have accomplished thus far in your life. Keep kicking butt as a mom and a wife, and I cannot wait to see what barriers you will break down in your future. I will be cheering you on! 

Love, Rigs

Kali Flanagan, 2018 Olympic gold medalist —

Megs, Congratulations on such an incredible career! I am so grateful to have been able to play with you and to have you as my captain. One of my biggest takeaways from being your teammate is that you make every person around you feel important. Only truly special leaders are able to do that. The movements you have spearheaded, the adversity you have led us through, and the accomplishments you have achieved are countless. THANK YOU for always being a genuine friend, a fearless leader, and a fierce advocate for women’s ice hockey and women everywhere. You deserve everything and more, and I can’t wait to see where this next chapter takes you!

Megan Keller, 2018 Olympic gold medalist —

Megs! Congratulations on your retirement. WHAT A CAREER! I am so grateful to have been your teammate, competing alongside you, and getting to learn from you for four of those years. Your dedication to the USWNT program and the next generation of players will have a lasting impact across the hockey world; I know it has for me. From the moment I set foot in that locker room, you were a role model for me. You are the ultimate competitor, a true leader, and most notably, a great teammate (oh, yeah—can’t forget Olympic champion

Amanda Kessel, 2018 Olympic gold medalist and 2014 Olympic silver medalist —

Congratulations on your retirement. It’s been an honor to be your teammate and friend over the years. Your impact, in so many ways, will last forever, and I can’t wait to see what your future holds!

Emily Matheson, 2018 Olympic gold medalist —

Congratulations, Duggs, on an incredible career! From looking up to you as a U18 player to being on the same team as you, it has been amazing to learn from one of the best. You made a difference on and off the ice. You were the voice for our team and women’s hockey and captained an incredible group of women to an Olympic gold medal. You made every player feel like they belonged and played an important role on our team. I can’t wait to see what you will continue to accomplish in the years ahead!

Sidney Morin, 2018 Olympic gold medalist —

I feel so privileged to have played alongside you. You are and have always been an extraordinary role model and an inspiring leader. I will always look up to you in everything you do. I will never forget the memories we made in 2018. I’m so proud to call you my friend. When your dream becomes a reality, enjoy the success, but just keep reaching. Your next dream may be the best one yet. The best is yet to come.❤️  

Kelly Pannek, 2018 Olympic gold medalist —

In the lead up to the 2018 Olympics, I was on a line with Meghan. Throughout that year, I watched and observed how she approached training, how intentional she was in her preparations, and how willing she was to learn and grow. While just observing her daily habits taught me so much, what I admire the most about Meghan is how, in the lead up to her third Olympics, she was so committed to being better that she was willing to listen to a national team rookie’s perspective. As a 10-year national team veteran, she could have easily stuck to what had worked for her in the past, and I would have followed along, but instead, she embraced what I brought to the table. So, Meghan cheers to a career for the record books! Thank you for your never-ending commitment to being better tomorrow than you were yesterday. I’m excited to see what adventure you whole-heartedly jump into next! Congrats, Megs!

Amanda Pelkey, 2018 Olympic gold medalist —

It’s hard and nearly impossible to find words that exemplify my appreciation for you as one of the best leaders in sport. Your competitive nature every single day could never be matched. Whether we were in the gym (on those bikes—ugh), on the ice, in a gold medal game, or out playing golf, you always had that edge, and I don’t see that ever going away. I am so grateful that I made the move to Boston after college. You were one of the big reasons why I chose to. Since I was 15, your energy and leadership caught my attention at every event. I wanted to learn from you every single day, and I absolutely did. I still tell many young kids that if you want to strive to be great, surround yourself with the best. You believed in my potential and saw it so clearly. I learned from you that in the hardest times, sometimes silence leads to clarity. You taught me the importance of reflection. You taught me with your actions for how to make every day count. The list goes on, but Megs, you taught me how to be a great friend. You’ll always be Captain America to me :) 

Love you, Pelks

P.S. I hope you still have that rug. 

A native of Danvers, Massachusetts, Duggan’s career was highlighted by nothing but success, including an Olympic gold medal, seven world championship gold medals, and three NCAA championships.


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