Amanda Kessel

Last updated

Amanda Kessel
AmandaKessel.jpg
Kessel with Team USA in 2017
Born (1991-08-28) August 28, 1991 (age 33)
Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
Height 5 ft 6 in (168 cm)
Weight 130 lb (59 kg; 9 st 4 lb)
Position Forward
Shoots Right
Played for Metropolitan Riveters
National teamFlag of the United States.svg  United States
Playing career 2010–present
Medal record
Olympic Games
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2018 Pyeongchang Team
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2014 Sochi Team
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2022 Beijing Team
World Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2013 Canada
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2017 United States
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2019 Finland
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2023 Canada
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2012 United States
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2021 Canada
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2022 Denmark

Amanda Kessel (born August 28, 1991) is an American ice hockey executive and professional player, currently serving as manager of minor league operations for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League and assistant general manager for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League.

Contents

Kessel played college ice hockey at the University of Minnesota and professionally in the National Women's Hockey League and Professional Women's Hockey Players Association. Internationally, she represented the United States women's national ice hockey team at seven World Championships and three Olympic Games, winning five gold medals and five silver medals.

Playing career

Youth and junior

Before high school, Kessel played boys' youth hockey for the Madison Capitols, winning state and regional championships in the 2005–06 season. Kessel attended high school at Shattuck-Saint Mary's, where she played for their girls' team. In 2007, she and Shattuck won the under-19 national championship, capping off a season in which Kessel had 102 points in 56 games. They repeated as national champions in her junior year, which saw her score 44 goals and 100 points in 34 games. As a senior, she led Shattuck with 122 points on the strength of 67 goals in just 46 games, doubling the next highest scorer's 61 points. [1] [2]

College

In her first game with the University of Minnesota, a 5–0 blanking of Clarkson University on October 1, 2010, Kessel registered two goals and two assists. [3] The following day, Kessel scored the game-winning goal as the Gophers won by a 3–0 score.[ citation needed ]

Professional

NWHL

Kessel was never drafted by a National Women's Hockey League team; league rules stipulate that a college player must be entering her senior year to be drafted, and Kessel's junior season was completed in 2013 before the league existed. Instead, she signed as a free agent with the New York Riveters on May 1, 2016. [10] Her contract of $26,000 was the largest NWHL contract to date. [10] Kessel was named one of the two captains for the 2nd NWHL All-Star Game. Scoring a hat trick in the All-Star Game, the first to do so in NWHL All-Star history, she would also be recognized as the game's Most Valuable Player. [11] After taking a season off from the NWHL due to national team commitments, she returned to the NWHL with the renamed Metropolitan Riveters for the 2018–19 season. [12]

PWHPA

Following the 2018–19 season, Kessel was one of many players to join the boycott on North American women's hockey leagues and join the new players' union, the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA), to push for better support of women's hockey. She was named a team captain at the January 2020 Toronto showcase. [13]

Skating for Team New Hampshire during the 2020–21 PWHPA season, Kessel participated in a PWHPA Dream Gap Tour event at New York's Madison Square Garden on February 28, 2021, the first women's ice hockey event at the venue. [14] Playing for a team sponsored by the Women's Sports Foundation, Kessel recorded a goal and an assist in a 4–3 win, [15] earning the Second Star of the Game.

International play

As a member of the U.S. Women's National Team, Kessel has won a medal at all the international tournaments she has participated in: [16]

Before being named to the U.S. Women's National Team, Kessel was a member of the United States Under-22 Team and Under-18 Team. Kessel played for the United States Under-18 in 2009 and was named the World Under-18 tournament's most valuable forward. She scored six goals and 13 assists for 19 points to lead Team USA to a gold medal. In the 2008 Under 18 World Championships, she played in five games with Team USA and tallied 11 points, ranking third among all players in scoring. Kessel was named to the US team participating in the 2010 Four Nations Cup. She did not play due to an injury. [17]

Administrative career

On April 20, 2022, the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL) announced that Kessel would be the first member of their Executive Management Program, [18] a one-year fellowship designed to give women and minority groups administrative expertise in preparation for a job in NHL management. [19] She earned a promotion on August 4, 2023 when she was named as a Special Assistant to the Penguins President of Hockey Operations and General Manager, Kyle Dubas. While her previous role saw her learning multiple facets of the team's day-to-day operations, including marketing and public relations, her new role is focused solely on hockey operations and club management with a focus on research and development as well as minor league operations. [20]

Kessel was selected by PWHL Montreal in the 2024 PWHL draft. Various outlets reported that she was only willing to play for Boston despite the league requiring prospective draftees to be willing to play for any team, prompting speculation that she might be traded. On August 19, 2024, she was promoted by the Penguins to manager of minor league operations and assistant general manager of their American Hockey League affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Since the announcement, it has not been announced whether she will play for Montreal or work for the Penguins. [21] [22]

Personal life

Kessel is the sister of three-time Stanley Cup champion Phil Kessel and former ice hockey defenseman Blake Kessel [23]

Her father, Phil Kessel Sr., was drafted by the Washington Redskins and stayed on the injured reserve for one year. [24]

In 2019, Kessel paired with Eric Radford for the fifth season of CBC's Battle of the Blades, where hockey players paired with figure skaters to compete for their chosen charity. However, she and Radford were the first pair eliminated.

Kessel became engaged to her partner, Catherine Williams, on August 21, 2024. [25]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
2007–08 Shattuck-Saint Mary's T1EHL 19U161315288—————
2010–11 University of Minnesota WCHA 351930492010110
2011–12University of MinnesotaWCHA382945741533362
2012–13University of MinnesotaWCHA434349922533690
2015–16University of MinnesotaWCHA106511435160
2016–17 New York Riveters NWHL 841418410110
2018–19 Metropolitan Riveters NWHL1321517610000
2020–21 New Hampshire PWHPA 63250—————
2022–23 Team AdidasPWHPA62350—————
NWHL totals21629351020110

International

YearTeamEventResult GPGAPtsPIM
2008 United States U18 Gold medal icon.svg547112
2009 United StatesU18Gold medal icon.svg5613192
2012 United States WC Silver medal icon.svg537100
2013 United StatesWCGold medal icon.svg52680
2014 United States OG Silver medal icon.svg53360
2017 United StatesWCGold medal icon.svg51560
2018 United StatesOGGold medal icon.svg50110
2019 United StatesWCGold medal icon.svg73250
2021 United StatesWCSilver medal icon.svg70440
2022 United StatesOGSilver medal icon.svg73580
2022 United StatesWCSilver medal icon.svg73472
2023 United StatesWCGold medal icon.svg75494
Junior totals101020304
Senior totals572341646

Awards and honors

AwardYearRef
NCAA
Second Team All-American 2012 [1]
All-Tournament Team 2012, 2016
First Team All-American 2013
First Team All-USCHO 2013
USCHO Player of the Year 2013
Patty Kazmaier Award 2013 [26]
WCHA
Rookie of the Year 2011 [1]
Third All-Star Team 2011
All-Rookie Team 2011
All-Tournament Team 2011
Second All-Star Team 2012
First All-Star Team 2013
Player of the Year 2013
NWHL
All-Star Game 2017 [27]
International
World U18 Championship – Best Forward 2009 [1]
Olympic Games – Media All-Star Team 2014 [28]
World Championship – Media All-Star Team 2022 [29]
USA Hockey
Bob Allen Women's Player of the Year Award 2013 [30]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kendall Coyne Schofield</span> American ice hockey player (born 1992)

Kendall Coyne Schofield is an American professional ice hockey player and captain for the Minnesota Frost and the United States national team. With the national team, she has won six gold medals at the IIHF World Women's Championships and the gold medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics. In 2016, she was the winner of the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award. In January 2017, Coyne was recognized as the recipient of the NCAA Today's Top 10 Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Carpenter</span> American ice hockey player (born 1994)

Alexandra "Alex" Carpenter is an American professional ice hockey forward, alternate captain of the New York Sirens of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL), and member of the American national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megan Bozek</span> American ice hockey player (born 1991)

Megan Bozek is an American ice hockey player and member of the United States national team. She most recently played with the KRS Vanke Rays of the Zhenskaya Hockey League (ZhHL) during the 2020–21 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hannah Brandt</span> American ice hockey player (born 1993)

Hannah Brandt is an American professional ice hockey centre for the Boston Fleet of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). She was named to the United States women's national ice hockey team, which represented the United States at the 2012 IIHF Women's World Championship. She won the 2012 Minnesota Ms. Hockey Award. She debuted for the U.S. national women's team at the 2014 4 Nations Cup in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michelle Picard</span> American ice hockey player

Michelle "Shelly" Picard is a retired American ice hockey player who played defense for the United States women's national ice hockey team. Picard also played for the Harvard Crimson and Metropolitan Riveters. She later served as deputy commissioner of the National Women's Hockey League from 2019 to 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Stecklein</span> American ice hockey player

Lee Ethel Stecklein is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the Minnesota Frost of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) and a former member of the United States women's national ice hockey team. Stecklein first represented the United States at the 2011 IIHF World Women's U18 Championship, and went on to play at the Winter Olympics in 2014, 2018 and 2022. She played college ice hockey at Minnesota. Stecklein is the only player to win both the NCAA national championship and the IIHF World Women's Championship three times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dana Trivigno</span> American ice hockey player

Dana Trivigno is an American women's ice hockey player with the Premier Hockey Federation and the American national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Premier Hockey Federation</span> Former North American professional womens ice hockey league

The Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) was a women's professional ice hockey league in the United States and Canada that operated from March 2015 until June 2023. The league was established in 2015 as the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL), comprising four league-owned teams. Over time, some teams gained independent ownership and the number of teams grew to seven; teams during the league's final season in 2022–23 included the Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale, Metropolitan Riveters, Minnesota Whitecaps, Montreal Force, and Toronto Six. The Isobel Cup was awarded annually to the league playoff champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haley Skarupa</span> American ice hockey player

Haley Rae Skarupa is an American former professional ice hockey forward who played in the National Women's Hockey League and Professional Women's Hockey Players Association, and for the American national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amanda Pelkey</span> American ice hockey player

Amanda Pelkey is an American professional ice hockey forward for the Boston Fleet of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). She previously played in the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) with the Metropolitan Riveters. She won the Isobel Cup in 2016 with the Boston Pride and was previously affiliated with the Calgary section of the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA). Her college ice hockey career was played with the Vermont Catamounts women's ice hockey program in the Hockey East conference of the NCAA Division I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katie Fitzgerald</span> American ice hockey goaltender

Kathleen "Katie" Fitzgerald is an American ice hockey player who currently plays for the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA). She previously played for the Metropolitan Riveters in the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF). Having played NCAA hockey with the St. Cloud State Huskies, she was the first Husky to sign a contract in the PHF.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelly Pannek</span> American ice hockey player

Kelly Pannek is an American professional ice hockey player for the Minnesota Frost of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). She previously played in the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018–19 NWHL season</span> Sports season

The 2018–19 NWHL season is the fourth season of the National Women's Hockey League. All four teams from the previous three seasons returned: the Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale, and the Metropolitan Riveters while the Minnesota Whitecaps entered the league as an expansion team bringing the league to five teams.

The 2018–19 Minnesota Whitecaps season was the first in franchise history as a member of the National Women's Hockey League, in which the team won the Isobel Cup during their inaugural year.

Nicole Schammel is an American former ice hockey forward who most recently played for the Minnesota Whitecaps of the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelsey Koelzer</span> American ice hockey defender & coach

Kelsey Koelzer is an American ice hockey defender, currently serving as head coach of the Arcadia University women's ice hockey program, the first black female head coach in NCAA ice hockey history, as well as the Advisor to the Commissioner on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the NWHL. She was drafted 1st overall by the Metropolitan Riveters in the 2016 NWHL Draft, the first black player to be the first overall pick in a professional North American hockey league draft. She played two seasons in the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL) with the Riveters before joining the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020–21 NWHL season</span> Sports season

The 2020–21 NWHL season was the sixth season of the National Women's Hockey League in North America. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the season was held in a bubble in Lake Placid, New York, from January to February 2021, with all five teams returning from the previous season, along with the Toronto Six expansion team as the first Canada-based team to play in the league. The season was suspended again due to positive cases of COVID-19 within the bubble. On March 8, 2021, the league announced that the Isobel Cup playoffs would re-commence on March 26 and 27 at Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton, Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate Schipper</span> American ice hockey player

Katherine "Kate" Schipper is an American ice hockey forward, who most recently played with Minnesota Whitecaps of the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL) in the 2018–19 season, winning the Isobel Cup.

The 2019–20 PWHPA season was the first season organized by the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA). The organization was established after the collapse of the Canadian Women's Hockey League in May, 2019. The PWHPA organized a boycott of the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL) as part of its efforts to agitate for the establishment of a new, unified women's professional league. As part of its boycott, the PWHPA organized a series of exhibition games and events beginning in September 2019, which was ultimately cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

Paige Voight is an American ice hockey forward, currently playing with the Metropolitan Riveters of the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL).

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Amanda Kessel - Women's Hockey". University of Minnesota Athletics. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  2. ↑ Kaplan, Emily (February 2, 2018). "Amanda Kessel is a typical 26-year-old -- who also happens to be an elite hockey player". ESPN . Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  3. ↑ USCHO Staff Report (October 1, 2010). "Kessel posts 4 points as Minnesota blanks Clarkson". USCHO. Archived from the original on April 6, 2019. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Gophers Win 11–0 Against New Hampshire – University of Minnesota Official Athletic Site". Gophersports.com. Archived from the original on June 26, 2018. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
  5. ↑ "University of New Hampshire Official Athletics Website:Gilligan Records 27 Saves In Two Periods; Women's Hockey Loses 11–0 At No. 2 Minnesota". UNHWildcats.com. November 18, 2011. Archived from the original on March 3, 2014. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Kessel Gets Second Hat Trick of the Weekend, Gophers Sweep New Hampshire – University of Minnesota Official Athletic Site". Gophersports.com. November 19, 2011. Archived from the original on May 24, 2012. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
  7. ↑ "U.S. hockey player out for college season with concussion". USA Today. September 10, 2014. Archived from the original on September 11, 2014. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
  8. ↑ Schlossman, Brad Elliott (July 21, 2015). "Gopher star Kessel won't play senior season". Grand Forks Herald. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  9. ↑ Leahy, Sean (February 3, 2016). "Amanda Kessel, concussion-free, set to return to Minnesota lineup". Yahoo! Sports. Archived from the original on February 3, 2016. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  10. 1 2 "Amanda Kessel signs one-year deal with NHWL's New York Riveters". May 2016. Archived from the original on February 15, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  11. ↑ "NWHL Stars Shine Bright in Pittsburgh". NWHL. February 13, 2017. Archived from the original on February 15, 2017. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Team USA Olympic Gold Medalist Amanda Kessel Returns to the Riveters". OurSportsCentral.com. June 4, 2018. Archived from the original on September 21, 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Secret Showcase headlines busy weekend for PWHPA". SB Nation . January 10, 2020. Archived from the original on October 16, 2021. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  14. ↑ Analis Bailey (February 28, 2021). "PWHPA Dream Gap Tour hits Madison Square Garden ice for historic women's game". USA Today . Archived from the original on March 2, 2021. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  15. ↑ "2021 Secret Dream Gap Tour recap: New York City". SB Nation . March 1, 2021. Archived from the original on September 16, 2021. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Team USA – Amanda Kessel". USA Hockey. Archived from the original on August 29, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
  17. ↑ "The Official Website of Hockey Canada". Canadianhockey.ca. Retrieved December 4, 2013.[ permanent dead link ]
  18. ↑ "Penguins Name Amanda Kessel First Hire of Executive Management Program". National Hockey League. Pittsburgh Penguins. April 20, 2022. Archived from the original on April 20, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  19. ↑ Kaplan, Emily (April 20, 2022). "Three-time U.S. Olympic medalist Amanda Kessel joining Pittsburgh Penguins for one-year fellowship". ESPN. Archived from the original on April 20, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Penguins Announce Hockey Operations Promotions | NHL.com". www.nhl.com. September 6, 2023. Archived from the original on June 14, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  21. ↑ Kennedy, Ian (August 19, 2024). "Kessel To Stay With Pittsburgh Penguins Taking On AHL Assistant General Manager Job". The Hockey News . Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  22. ↑ Lorange, Simon-Olivier (August 19, 2024). "Ligue professionnelle de hockey féminin: Amanda Kessel semble s'éloigner de Montréal". La Presse (in Canadian French). Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  23. ↑ Duhatschek, Eric (February 19, 2014). "Kessel siblings aim to bring home double Olympic hockey gold". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on April 25, 2017. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  24. ↑ Fitzgerald, Gary (April 25, 2012). "Great Redskins Drafts: A Look At 1981". redskins.com. Redskins. Archived from the original on December 5, 2017. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
  25. ↑ Kessel, Amanda [@amandakessel28] (August 21, 2024). "A new rock in front of the Faraglioni rocks" . Retrieved August 21, 2024– via Instagram.
  26. ↑ Semisch, Matthew (March 23, 2013). "Minnesota's Kessel wins Kazmaier Award". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
  27. ↑ Ayala, Erica (February 10, 2017). "NWHL All-Star Weekend Recap". The Ice Garden. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  28. ↑ "U.S. Women Fall to Canada , 3-2, in Gold-Medal Game at 2014 Olympic Winter Games". USA Hockey. February 20, 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  29. ↑ Montroy, Liz (September 4, 2022). "Heise named MVP". International Ice Hockey Federation. Archived from the original on September 4, 2022. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  30. ↑ "Bob Allen Women's Player of the Year". USA Hockey . Archived from the original on February 14, 2022. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Patty Kazmaier Award
2012–13 		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.