Amanda Kessel

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.

Amanda Kessel
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 team	United States
Playing career	2010–present
Medal record Olympic Games 2018 Pyeongchang Team 2014 Sochi Team 2022 Beijing Team World Championships 2013 Canada 2017 United States 2019 Finland 2023 Canada 2012 United States 2021 Canada 2022 Denmark

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]}

• November 18, 2010: Kessel registered five points (including four goals^[4]) as the Golden Gophers defeated the New Hampshire Wildcats by an 11–0 tally. This was the worst loss in the 35-year history of the Wildcats program.^[5]
• November 19: Kessel earned her second hat trick of the series as the Gophers defeated New Hampshire by a 6–1 tally.^[6]
• September 10, 2014, the Golden Gophers announced that Kessel would sit out the 2014–15 season as a result of lingering concussion symptoms she had sustained while playing for Team USA.^[7]
• July 21, 2015: the Golden Gophers announced that Kessel would not be playing hockey for the 2015–16 season for health reasons. Because she had previously taken a redshirt year on two prior occasions, she will no longer be eligible to play college hockey.^[8]
• February 3, 2016: The Golden Gophers announced that Kessel returned to the team. Despite earlier prognoses, she continued working to gain clearance from doctors to play hockey and succeeded late in the 2015–2016 season in time for the February 5–6 series against North Dakota.^[9]

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]

• Silver medalist at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China
• Gold medalist at the 2019 IIHF Women's World Championship in Espoo, Finland
• Gold medalist at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea
• Gold medalist at the 2017 IIHF Women's World Championship in Plymouth, Michigan
• Silver medalist at the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia
• Gold medalist at the 2013 IIHF Women's World Championship in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
• Silver medalist at the 2012 IIHF Women's World Championship in Burlington, Vermont
• Gold medalist at the 2011 and 2012 Four Nations Cup

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^[update], 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	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2007–08	Shattuck-Saint Mary's	T1EHL 19U		16	13	15	28	8		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	University of Minnesota	WCHA		35	19	30	49	20		1	0	1	1	0
2011–12	University of Minnesota	WCHA		38	29	45	74	15		3	3	3	6	2
2012–13	University of Minnesota	WCHA		43	43	49	92	25		3	3	6	9	0
2015–16	University of Minnesota	WCHA		10	6	5	11	4		3	5	1	6	0
2016–17	New York Riveters	NWHL		8	4	14	18	4		1	0	1	1	0
2018–19	Metropolitan Riveters	NWHL		13	2	15	17	6		1	0	0	0	0
2020–21	New Hampshire	PWHPA		6	3	2	5	0		—	—	—	—	—
2022–23	Team Adidas	PWHPA		6	2	3	5	0		—	—	—	—	—
NWHL totals				21	6	29	35	10		2	0	1	1	0

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2008	United States	U18			5	4	7	11	2
2009	United States	U18			5	6	13	19	2
2012	United States	WC			5	3	7	10	0
2013	United States	WC			5	2	6	8	0
2014	United States	OG			5	3	3	6	0
2017	United States	WC			5	1	5	6	0
2018	United States	OG			5	0	1	1	0
2019	United States	WC			7	3	2	5	0
2021	United States	WC			7	0	4	4	0
2022	United States	OG			7	3	5	8	0
2022	United States	WC			7	3	4	7	2
2023	United States	WC			7	5	4	9	4
Junior totals					10	10	20	30	4
Senior totals					57	23	41	64	6

Awards and honors

Award	Year	Ref
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]

References

1. "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. "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.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com
• Amanda Kessel at Minnesota Golden Gophers
• Amanda Kessel at Olympics.com
• Amanda Kessel at Olympics at Sports-Reference.com (archived)
• Amanda Kessel on Twitter

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Brianna Decker	Patty Kazmaier Award 2012–13	Succeeded by Jamie Lee Rattray