University of Minnesota Athletics
Wendell Selected for U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame
9/5/2019 12:45:00 PM | Women's Hockey
Gophers great Krissy Wendell is one of five members of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2019.
MINNEAPOLIS -- Krissy Wendell, a three-time All-American and two-time national champion for the University of Minnesota, is one of five individuals who will be inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame as the Class of 2019, USA Hockey announced. Wendell joins Gary Bettman, Brian Gionta, Neal Henderson, and Tim Thomas to make up the newest inductees.
The 2019 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Celebration will be held Thursday, Dec. 12 at the Marriott Marquis in Washington D.C. Tickets for the event are on sale now.
"It's truly a remarkable Class," said Jim Smith, president of USA Hockey. "Each of the five inductees have their own unique and immeasurable contribution to our great game. They're extremely deserving of the highest hockey honor in our country and we look forward to formally enshrining them into the Hall in December."
Wendell, a native of Brooklyn Park, Minn., has excelled at every level of hockey during her career. From youth hockey in the Twin Cities suburbs, to her standout collegiate career at the University of Minnesota, to the international stage, Wendell's skating tenure is marked by glowing achievements and broken records.
"Congrats to all of the honorees," Wendell said. "I share a lot of the same feelings of being honored and flattered to be recognized among this group. When I first got into hockey, my only option was playing with the boys. There were only a few other girls who played in Minnesota. Like a lot of the other ones, I just played because I loved the game.
"I could have never dreamed of the opportunities that this sport would provide, the places I've been able to see, the wonderful people I got to meet and play with, or even that the Olympics were a possibility."
Wendell appeared in 101 career games for the Gophers from 2002-03 to 2004-05. She recorded 237 career points with 106 goals and 131 assists during her three seasons; her 237 career points still ranks fourth in Gopher women's hockey program history. Wendell remains second in Minnesota history in career points per game (2.35), goals per game (1.05), and assists per game (1.30), and her 16 short-handed goals and 24 game-winning goals still stand as Minnesota program records as well.
A three-time All-American and three-time All-WCHA selection, Wendell led the Gophers to back-to-back national championships in 2004 and 2005 after Minnesota placed fourth at the NCAA Championship her freshman year. As a rookie, she led Minnesota to runner-up showings in both the WCHA regular season and WCHA postseason tournament, making her college debut with a 55-point rookie campaign (27 goals, 28 assists).
Wendell then led the Gophers to consecutive WCHA regular season and post-season titles in 2004 and 2005, along with back-to-back national championships. She was named the WCHA Player of the Year in each of those seasons, along with being a three-time Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award finalist and Minnesota's first-ever recipient of the award in 2005. Wendell recorded a career-best 104 points (43 goals, 61 assists) during the 2004-05 season, a scoring effort that still ranks second in Gophers' history to teammate Natalie Darwitz's 114 points during the same season.
Wendell continues to rank among the top-15 on the NCAA's all-time points list (237), and she is fourth in NCAA history with 2.35 points per game. She still shares the NCAA record for most shorthanded goals in a single season after notching seven tallies during the 2004-05 season as well.
"When I look back, for me it's about the memories and the friendships and the teammates," Wendell said of her greatest accomplishments. "The wins, the losses, the championships were great, but really the memories in the locker room and being able to travel and the funny stories that can be exchanged over text messages now are really what has stuck with me."
Along with her success at the collegiate level, Wendell was a prolific a goal-scorer on the international stage. She represented the United States in 147 total games and registered 247 points, including 106 goals. She played in six IIHF Women's World Championships, including in 2005 when she helped the U.S. win its first-ever gold in the event with an MVP performance that included leading all skaters in the tournament with nine points.
In addition, Wendell donned the Team USA jersey at both the 2002 and 2006 Olympic Winter Games, serving as captain in the 2006 tournament. She earned two distinguished USA Hockey honors during her nine-year stint (1998-2007) as a member of the U.S. Women's National Team program, including the Bob Allen Women's Player of the Year in 2001 and the recipient of the Bob Johnson Award for international excellence in both 2000 and 2005. All total as a member of Team USA, Wendell earned one gold medal, six silvers and one bronze in major international competition.
In Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, where her love for the game blossomed, Wendell led her Park Center Senior High School team to its first ever girls state championship in 2000. Wendell remains today the all-time scoring leader at Park Center and among the top 10 in Minnesota State High School League history.
"It's been fun to watch the girls' game continue to grow and provide opportunities," Wendell said. "None of that would have been possible without getting the support from USA Hockey and the people behind the scenes growing the game. I'm incredibly thankful for that. I now get to watch my three little girls who are 11, 9, and 7 years old. I'm grateful and blessed to watch and share the game with them, help coach them, and let them build their own memories."
U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame inductees are chosen on the basis of extraordinary contribution to the sport of hockey in the United States. The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame was incorporated in 1969 and inducted its first class in 1973, and the Class of 2019 with be the 47th installed to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. To date, there are 182 enshrined members and four enshrined teams in the Hall.
The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum is located in Eveleth, Minnesota and is open daily. For hours of operation and admission prices, visit USHockeyHallMuseum.com or call 800-443-7825. For information on the members of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, visit USHockeyHallofFame.com.
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The 2019 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Celebration will be held Thursday, Dec. 12 at the Marriott Marquis in Washington D.C. Tickets for the event are on sale now.
"It's truly a remarkable Class," said Jim Smith, president of USA Hockey. "Each of the five inductees have their own unique and immeasurable contribution to our great game. They're extremely deserving of the highest hockey honor in our country and we look forward to formally enshrining them into the Hall in December."
Wendell, a native of Brooklyn Park, Minn., has excelled at every level of hockey during her career. From youth hockey in the Twin Cities suburbs, to her standout collegiate career at the University of Minnesota, to the international stage, Wendell's skating tenure is marked by glowing achievements and broken records.
"Congrats to all of the honorees," Wendell said. "I share a lot of the same feelings of being honored and flattered to be recognized among this group. When I first got into hockey, my only option was playing with the boys. There were only a few other girls who played in Minnesota. Like a lot of the other ones, I just played because I loved the game.
"I could have never dreamed of the opportunities that this sport would provide, the places I've been able to see, the wonderful people I got to meet and play with, or even that the Olympics were a possibility."
Wendell appeared in 101 career games for the Gophers from 2002-03 to 2004-05. She recorded 237 career points with 106 goals and 131 assists during her three seasons; her 237 career points still ranks fourth in Gopher women's hockey program history. Wendell remains second in Minnesota history in career points per game (2.35), goals per game (1.05), and assists per game (1.30), and her 16 short-handed goals and 24 game-winning goals still stand as Minnesota program records as well.
A three-time All-American and three-time All-WCHA selection, Wendell led the Gophers to back-to-back national championships in 2004 and 2005 after Minnesota placed fourth at the NCAA Championship her freshman year. As a rookie, she led Minnesota to runner-up showings in both the WCHA regular season and WCHA postseason tournament, making her college debut with a 55-point rookie campaign (27 goals, 28 assists).
Wendell then led the Gophers to consecutive WCHA regular season and post-season titles in 2004 and 2005, along with back-to-back national championships. She was named the WCHA Player of the Year in each of those seasons, along with being a three-time Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award finalist and Minnesota's first-ever recipient of the award in 2005. Wendell recorded a career-best 104 points (43 goals, 61 assists) during the 2004-05 season, a scoring effort that still ranks second in Gophers' history to teammate Natalie Darwitz's 114 points during the same season.
Wendell continues to rank among the top-15 on the NCAA's all-time points list (237), and she is fourth in NCAA history with 2.35 points per game. She still shares the NCAA record for most shorthanded goals in a single season after notching seven tallies during the 2004-05 season as well.
"When I look back, for me it's about the memories and the friendships and the teammates," Wendell said of her greatest accomplishments. "The wins, the losses, the championships were great, but really the memories in the locker room and being able to travel and the funny stories that can be exchanged over text messages now are really what has stuck with me."
Along with her success at the collegiate level, Wendell was a prolific a goal-scorer on the international stage. She represented the United States in 147 total games and registered 247 points, including 106 goals. She played in six IIHF Women's World Championships, including in 2005 when she helped the U.S. win its first-ever gold in the event with an MVP performance that included leading all skaters in the tournament with nine points.
In addition, Wendell donned the Team USA jersey at both the 2002 and 2006 Olympic Winter Games, serving as captain in the 2006 tournament. She earned two distinguished USA Hockey honors during her nine-year stint (1998-2007) as a member of the U.S. Women's National Team program, including the Bob Allen Women's Player of the Year in 2001 and the recipient of the Bob Johnson Award for international excellence in both 2000 and 2005. All total as a member of Team USA, Wendell earned one gold medal, six silvers and one bronze in major international competition.
In Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, where her love for the game blossomed, Wendell led her Park Center Senior High School team to its first ever girls state championship in 2000. Wendell remains today the all-time scoring leader at Park Center and among the top 10 in Minnesota State High School League history.
"It's been fun to watch the girls' game continue to grow and provide opportunities," Wendell said. "None of that would have been possible without getting the support from USA Hockey and the people behind the scenes growing the game. I'm incredibly thankful for that. I now get to watch my three little girls who are 11, 9, and 7 years old. I'm grateful and blessed to watch and share the game with them, help coach them, and let them build their own memories."
U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame inductees are chosen on the basis of extraordinary contribution to the sport of hockey in the United States. The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame was incorporated in 1969 and inducted its first class in 1973, and the Class of 2019 with be the 47th installed to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. To date, there are 182 enshrined members and four enshrined teams in the Hall.
The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum is located in Eveleth, Minnesota and is open daily. For hours of operation and admission prices, visit USHockeyHallMuseum.com or call 800-443-7825. For information on the members of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, visit USHockeyHallofFame.com.
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