Craig Handel

2 months ago | usahockey.com | Justin Felisko |Craig Handel |Nicole Haase

WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. – Sydney Parkhurst could feel the envy in her veins inside Amalie Arena when the Tampa Bay Lighting scored, or she saw the Zamboni creating a fresh sheet of ice. At the time, Parkhurst was working as a bartender at Lightning games in 2021 and the former lifelong hockey player and Division III softball player had figured her days of playing competitive hockey and sports were long gone.

2 months ago | usahockey.com | Justin Felisko |Craig Handel |Nicole Haase |USA Hockey

WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. –  The stakes may be vastly different compared to 35 years ago when Cindy Curley was the captain of the U.S. Women’s National Team at the inaugural IIHF Women’s World Championship, but Curley’s love and passion for the game remains the same today. “Of course, I think hockey is the greatest sport in the world, but I rightfully may be a little biased,” Curley said in laughter.

2 months ago | usahockey.com | Craig Handel

WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. – Red Wing 60-plus coach Ken Payette’s lasting memory of Pat Sahli isn’t of him passing away from sepsis. It also isn’t of Sahli finding out that doctors discovered a tumor in his nasal passages when he originally told them he thought he had a nasal infection because he sniffled so much. No, Payette remembers what Sahli did a month before his passing. “He scored the winning goal,” Payette said.

2 months ago | usahockey.com | Craig Handel |Nicole Haase |USA Hockey

WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — John Koufis’ hockey journey has taken him around the world. The sport has allowed him to represent his native country and make life-long friendships. As a player-owner for the Chicago Sharks, he has been part of teams that have won seven national championships. On April 6, he hoped he and the shorthanded Sharks would repeat as 50-plus Tier 1 champs in the 2025 USA Hockey Adult Men's National Championships. However, the deeper Northland Stars from Minnesota prevailed 5-3.

2 months ago | usahockey.com | Nicole Haase |Craig Handel |USA Hockey |Heather Rule

Over the past 15 seasons, girls hockey in the United States has seen a participation increase of 36.5%. With that increase in players, there is further opportunities to grow the coaching ranks, which is only 7% female, according to Kristine Wing, USA Hockey's coach-in-chief for female development. One of the refrains surrounding the PWHL has been, “If she can see it, she can be it,” and Wing wants to make sure that line of thinking extends to coaching pathways for women.