Krissy Wendell, a native of Brooklyn Park, Minn., is among a five-member class who will be enshrined into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame as the Class of 2019. Joining Wendell will be Gary Bettman, Brian Gionta, Neal Henderson and Tim Thomas.

“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.”

The 2019 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Celebration will be held Dec. 12 at the Marriott Marquis in Washington D.C. Tickets are available by clicking here.

Wendell 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.

During her three-year high school career at Park Center – one of which was on the boys’ team – Wendell totaled an astonishing 335 points in 62 games. She led her team to a pair of state tournaments, taking the consolation title in 1999 and the state championship in 2000. In six career state tourney games, Wendell scored 21 goals, a record that still stands. After her senior season, she was named the fifth recipient of the Ms. Hockey Award.

At the University of Minnesota, Wendell led the Gophers to back-to-back NCAA titles in 2004 and 2005, was a three-time All-American and a two-time WCHA Player of the Year. She tallied a Minnesota record 24 game-winning goals, including the deciding tally in the 2005 WCHA championship game against Wisconsin. In the same season, Wendell became the first Minnesota player and WCHA member to win the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award after being named a finalist in both 2003 and 2004. 

Wendell continues to rank among the top-15 on the NCAA’s all-time points list (237), is fourth all-time in points per game (2.35) and shares the record for most shorthanded goals in a single season after notching seven tallies during the 2004-05 season. In 101 career games over three seasons (2002-05), she registered 106 goals and 131 assists, good for 237 points. She is second all-time at Minnesota in career points per game at 2.35.

As prolific a goal-scorer on the international stage as she was at Minnesota, Wendell 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 latter 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 as the Bob Allen Women’s Player of the Year in 2001 and as 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.

Wendell, 37, married former Gopher and NHL player John Pohl in 2007. They have three daughters. Wendell and Pohl coached girls' hockey at Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul from 2011 until she resigned to become an administrator at Hill-Murray School in 2018. 

Prior to making a splash in the hockey world, Wendell gained some fame on the baseball diamond. In 1994, she became only the fifth girl to play in the Little League World Series, and the first to start at the catcher position. Wendell's Brooklyn Center team finished in a tie for third place in the U.S. in 1994. She was enshrined into the Little League Museum's Hall of Excellence in 2004.

Notes: 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. The Class of 2019 will be the 47th installed to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. To date, there are 182 enshrinees. For information on the members of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, visit USHockeyHallofFame.com ... The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum, located in Eveleth, Minnesota, is open daily. For hours of operation and admission prices, visit USHockeyHallMuseum.com or call 800-443-7825.