Sault Ste. Marie’s Roque Will Make Winter Olympics Debut for Team USA in Beijing

USA Hockey announced on Saturday their final roster for the women’s hockey team that will compete at the 2022 Winter Olympics in February, which features Sault Ste. Marie alum Abby Roque as one of 23 players.

The 24-year-old is a first-time Olympian, joining seven others on the roster making their first trip to the Olympic Games as well. Roque also joins fellow Michigan native and 2018 Olympic gold-medalist Megan Keller from Farmington on the women’s U.S. team.

Ready to rep the red, white & blue! | 🇺🇸

— USA Hockey (@usahockey)

Roque of Wahnapitae First Nation is also the first Indigenous woman to play for the U.S. national team in the Olympics.

Of the players added to this year’s roster, 13 served as key contributors for the U.S. during their gold medal-winning run at the PyeongChang Olympics in 2018: Barnes, Brandt, Cameranesi, Cavallini, Coyne Schofield, Decker, Hensley, Keller, Kessel, Knight, Pannek, Rooney and Stecklein.

Roque previously made the roster for the U.S. Women’s National Team that competed in the 2021 International Ice Hockey Federation Women’s World Championship back in August in Calgary, Alberta.

She was also invited to be a part of the 2021-22 U.S. Women’s National Team Residency Program in October at the Super Rink in Blaine, Minn.

Roque made her debut with the U.S. Women’s National Hockey Team in December of 2019. She was also named USA Hockey’s Bob Allen Women’s Player of the Year in 2020.