Kessel siblings elected to U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame

Two hockey stars with ties to the Pittsburgh Penguins have earned a major accolade.

Siblings Amanda and Phil Kessel are both being elected to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2026.

Amanda currently serves as director of minor league operations and assistant general manager of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Phil is a three-time Stanley Cup champion and Penguins alumnus.

Both had long careers in the sport.

Amanda had an extensive international playing career for Team USA, winning an Olympic gold medal in 2018 along with silver medals in 2014 and 2022. She’s also played on seven IIHF World Championship teams, in four Four-Nations Cups and in two Under-18 Women’s World Championships.

She played college hockey at the University of Minnesota, leading the Golden Gophers to three Division I National Championships in 2012, 2013 and 2016. She was awarded the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as the nation’s top female college player.

She also played two seasons in the National Women’s Hockey League from 2016 to 2019. In 2017, she served as team captain and was named MVP of the NWHL All-Star Game at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.

Amanda is entering her fourth season in hockey operations management with the Pittsburgh Penguins. In her current role, she assists with matters involving the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League and oversees the team’s ECHL affiliate in Florida. Last season, both minor league affiliates reached the Conference Finals in their respective leagues.

Phil played 17 seasons in the NHL, winning Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh in 2016 and 2017 and Vegas in 2023. He holds the NHL record for most consecutive regular-season games played: 1,064.

Across his NHL career, he collected 992 points in 1,286 regular-season games across stints with Boston, Toronto, Pittsburgh, Arizona and Vegas.

During his four seasons with Pittsburgh from 2015 to 2019, Phil posted 303 points in 328 games. In the 2016 postseason, he teamed with Carl Hagelin and Nick Bonino to form the “HBK Line,” combining for 56 playoff points as Kessel led the team with 22 points and 10 goals.

Early in his career, he became the first rookie to win the Masterton Trophy after being diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2006.

A native of Madison, Wis., Phil Kessel also represented the United States internationally at the 2010 and 2014 Olympic Winter Games, taking home a silver medal in 2010. Among American-born skaters in NHL history, he finished his career ranked third in points and assists and fourth in goals.

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