Olivia Knowles is a professional ice hockey player for PWHL Toronto in the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). Born in Campbell River, BC, Knowles grew up as a multi-sport athlete who has competed in gymnastics, soccer, softball, track & field, swimming, basketball, volleyball, cross country, skiing, snowboarding, surfing, and tennis. She found a true passion for hockey though, attending the Okanagan Hockey Academy (OHA) where she was named the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) Best Defense and the OHA Female Prep Best Defence. In 2017, she was team captain and led her team to win the CSSHL championship, scoring 30 points in 42 games (8 goals, 22 assists). Knowles was also a member of Canada women's national under-18 ice hockey team. She helped the team earn a silver medal at the 2016 and 2017 IIHF World Women's U18 Championship.
After graduating high school, she played in five seasons at the University of Minnesota. By the end of her fifth year, she was team co-captain and a Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Scholar-Athlete. She was also named to the WCHA All-Academic Team and an Academic All-Big Ten honouree, earning degrees in sport management and journalism. Following university, Knowles played a year with the Minnesota Whitecaps in 2022. She and the team played in the Isobel Cup finals, where they lost to the Toronto Six. In 2023, she was drafted in the 15th round, 86th overall, by PWHL Toronto in the PWHL Draft. During the 2023–24 PWHL season, she helped the team secure a spot in the PWHL playoffs and she had one assist and five blocked shots in the run leading up to the finals.
