Without having completely faded, the chances of seeing Amanda Kessel wear the Montreal uniform in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (LPHF) seem increasingly slim. The forward was drafted in the seventh round last June.
The 32-year-old American, a three-time Olympic medalist, has accepted a promotion within the Pittsburgh Penguins’ hockey department. The organization announced a series of appointments Monday, including Kessel’s promotion to manager of minor league operations and assistant general manager of the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton affiliate.
The upcoming season will be her third with the Penguins. Until recently, Amanda Kessel had the elusive title of special advisor to general manager Kyle Dubas.
No one, at this point, would confirm whether this step forward in her career as an administrator puts an end to her career on the ice. The Penguins insist that despite the promotion offered to her, the decision on her future as a player is hers alone. “And we will support her, no matter what she decides,” Dubas said in a written statement sent to The Press.
The increased responsibilities she is now entrusted with are intended to be “a reflection of the exceptional work she has accomplished with us over the past few years, as she continues to develop professionally,” he adds.
Amanda Kessel was not available for media interviews with the Penguins due to a European vacation. Her agent did not respond to messages from The Press. Danièle Sauvageau, general manager of the Montreal team in the LPHF, was to speak to him Monday afternoon, we were told by the club.
Doubts
Sauvageau had caused a general surprise by selecting Kessel in the seventh round of the LPHF draft, last June. One of the best players available, she had been ignored for almost the entire session, before Montreal management pronounced her name at 41e and penultimate row.
PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Danielle Sauvageau
Various media outlets subsequently reported that the forward only wanted to play in Boston.
Already, doubts remained as to whether she would be able to reconcile her job with the Penguins with the daily life of a professional hockey player, especially in Canada. Sauvageau had then insisted on the fact that a player registered in the draft was presumed to be available for all teams.
No new information has filtered through in the last two months in this case. The team has nevertheless announced since the hiring of Cayla Barnes and Jennifer Gardiner, respectively drafted in the first and second rounds last June. Nothing, however, for Kessel, and this, while the club has positions to fill in attack.
Amanda Kessel has been one of the best American forwards of the last decade, helping her country triumph in four world championships and the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. She has also won five silver medals at the worlds (three) and the Olympics (two).