Montreal takes Amanda Kessel with 2nd-last pick in PWHL draft
Montreal drafted American star forward Amanda Kessel with the 41st pick in the 2024 PWHL Draft on Monday.
Kessel didn't play hockey last season. She's currently a special assistant in the Pittsburgh Penguins' front office.
The 32-year-old last played at the 2023 World Championship, where she tallied five goals and nine points in seven games while playing on a line with Boston's Hilary Knight and New York's Alex Carpenter.
The Madison, Wisconsin native has a stunning resume that features an Olympic gold medal, four golds at the world championship, and three NCAA national titles.
She ranks seventh among Americans in all-time Worlds scoring with 20 goals and 59 points in 43 contests. Knight and Kendall Coyne Schofield are the only two active American skaters with more points.
Kessel won the Patty Kazmaier Award in 2013 as the best player in women's college hockey while at the University of Minnesota. She made the All-Star Team at the 2014 Olympics and the 2022 Worlds.
Concussion issues sidelined Kessel for the entire 2014-15 season. She went nearly two full years between games before returning to action in February 2016.
Kessel briefly played parts of two seasons in the NWHL with the Metropolitan Riveters, where she registered six goals and 35 points in 21 contests.
Her brother, Phil, is a three-time Stanley Cup champion. Her sister-in-law, Courtney, is the head coach of PWHL Boston.