Kessel siblings among 2026 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame class inductees

Some of the best American-born players of all time are going to be enshrined among some of the greatest to ever lace up their skates.

On Thursday, USA Hockey announced the 2026 class for the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. Olympic gold medalist Amanda Kessel, Stanley Cup champions Phil Kessel and T.J. Oshie, former NHL defenseman Ryan Suter and longtime athletic trainer Stan Wong are set to be enshrined later this fall.

The two Kessels have similar stories. Both became stars at the University of Minnesota before turning pro and have some significant hardware in their trophy case, both domestic and abroad.

Amanda is widely regarded as one of the greatest women’s hockey players of all time. She was one of the top players at the first two IIHF Under-18 Women’s World Championships in 2008 and 2009, and sits third all-time in career scoring in the tournament. She would make her debut with the senior national team at the IIHF Women’s World Championship in 2012, and was part of four gold-medal-winning squads in the tournament, taking home the silver medal three times. The Madison, Wis. native played for the U.S. at three Winter Olympics, scoring a crucial shootout goal in the gold medal game against Canada in PyeongChang in 2018, while also being awarded the silver medal in 2014 and 2022.

With the Golden Gophers, Kessel won three NCAA championships, earning the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as the best player in women’s college hockey in 2013. She scored 101 points in 2012-13, becoming just the fifth player ever to reach the century mark.

Brother Phil will forever be known as one of the NHL’s most durable players. In October 2022, he broke Keith Yandle’s Ironman record, playing in 1,064 consecutive regular-season games. On top of that, he was one of the league’s most consistent scorers. He reached the 30-goal mark five times in a six-year span, which was only broken up by the lockout-shortened 2013 season. He scored 413 goals and 992 points in 1,286 regular-season contests, with another 83 points in 100 postseason contests. Kessel, a recipient of Bill Masterton Trophy in 2007, won three Stanley Cups in his career, two with the Pittsburgh Penguins before capping off his career with a Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights.

Kessel also took home some medals on the world stage. He helped the U.S. win gold at the 2005 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship, taking home silver the year before. He also appeared in two IIHF World Junior Championships and two Winter Olympics for his country, being on the silver-medal squad in Vancouver in 2010.

Another member of the 2014 U.S. Olympic squad, Oshie became a national hero for his performance in the shootout in a group-stage win over Russia in Sochi. The Mt. Vernon, Wash. native also represented the U.S. at three IIHF Men’s World Championships, the 2006 World Juniors and 2016 World Cup of Hockey. He helped the Americans win the bronze medal at the 2013 Men’s Worlds.

In the NHL, Oshie was considered by many to be one of the more underrated offensive weapons in the league. After becoming a star with the St. Louis Blues, he reached hockey’s pinnacle in 2018, winning a Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals. Oshie scored 301 goals and 694 points in 1,010 regular-season contests, with another 69 points in 106 playoff games.

Suter might not have a Stanley Cup on his resume, but he earned a reputation as one of the NHL’s top blueliners for many years, especially playing alongside Shea Weber with the Nashville Predators. The former Minnesota Wild defender posted 107 goals and 696 points in 1,526 regular-season affairs, with 45 more points coming in 138 postseason games.

Suter certainly earned his stripes internationally. He was on the American team that won its first-ever World Junior gold in 2004, also winning gold at the 2002 U-18s. He played for Team USA at five World Championships, the 2016 World Cup, and two Olympics, also being part of the silver-medal squad in 2010.

Wong has been a fixture in the hockey community for four decades. After spending time in the NHL and United States Football League, he joined the Capitals as head athletic trainer in 1986. After 13 seasons in the nation’s capital, he spent three years with the Florida Panthers before becoming one of USA Hockey’s go-to trainers for the past couple of decades. He was Team USA’s trainer at each Olympics from 2006 to 2022, and he was part of the staff for 18 Men’s Worlds teams, including the 2025 squad that won the country’s first gold medal in the event in 92 years. The Fall River, Mass. native was inducted into the Professional Hockey Athletic Trainers Society and the Society of Professional Hockey Equipment Managers Hall of Fame in 2015

The Hall of Fame celebration will take place on Nov. 30 in Washington, D.C., where the five members will be honored and the NHL’s Lester Patrick Trophy will be awarded.