Krissy Wendell (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.
A skilled forward with a flair for clutch goal-scoring, Wendell tallied a Minnesota record 24 game-winning goals. 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. Throughout her time as a Gopher, the two-time NCAA national champion, earned All-America honors three times and was a two-time WCHA Player of the Year. 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.
In Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, where her love for the game blossomed, Wendell led her Park Center Senior High School team to its first ever 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.