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

Two prominent hockey players from Pittsburgh have been honored with induction into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame for the Class of 2026. Amanda Kessel currently holds the position of director of minor league operations and assistant general manager for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, while her brother Phil is a three-time Stanley Cup champion and alumnus of the team.

Both siblings have enjoyed illustrious careers in the sport, with Amanda having a distinguished international playing career for Team USA, including an Olympic gold medal in 2018 and silver medals in 2014 and 2022. She has also played on seven IIHF World Championship teams, four Four-Nations Cups, and two Under-18 Women’s World Championships.

Amanda played college hockey at the University of Minnesota, leading the team to three Division I National Championships. She received the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, recognizing her as the nation’s top female college player. After retiring from playing, she transitioned into hockey operations management at the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Phil Kessel, on the other hand, had a remarkable 17-year NHL career, winning Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh in 2016 and 2017, and in 2023 with Vegas. He holds the NHL record for the most consecutive regular-season games played (1,064). During his time with Pittsburgh from 2015 to 2019, he amassed 303 points in 328 games. In the 2016 postseason, he formed the "HBK Line" with Carl Hagelin and Nick Bonino, contributing 56 playoff points.

Kessel became the first rookie to win the Masterton Trophy while battling testicular cancer. A native of Madison, Wisconsin, Phil Kessel is also a two-time Olympic Winter Games silver medalist for the United States in 2010. In the annals of American-born skaters in the NHL, he ranks third in points and assists and fourth in goals.