Amanda Kessel joins the Penguins: is Phil next?

On Wednesday morning, the Pittsburgh Penguins named Amanda Kessel as the first participant in the new Penguins’ Executive Management Program.

The Penguins’ Executive Management Program offers candidates, with a focus on women and minority athletes, a one-year opportunity to work alongside executives within the Penguins partnership, marketing, communication and broadcast departments, as well as hockey operations. The first-of-its-kind program will consist of a rotation through different departments to expose participants to all aspects of the sports business, and includes graduate school educational and community service components.

There is no doubt that Kessel, a professional women’s hockey player and Team USA Gold Medalist, will thrive in the program as the inaugural participant.

“I am excited to learn from one of the best franchises in professional sports,” said Kessel. “The Penguins presented me with the opportunity to use my experience and love for hockey in a whole new capacity and I look forward to making the most of this program.”

As fans applauded her nomination, many wondered if her brother Phil would join her sooner than later in Pittsburgh.

All season long, there were talks that Kessel does not fit the direction his Arizona Coyotes are heading into and many expected that he’d be traded at the deadline. While he’s stayed put, his contract is coming to an end and he will be an unrestricted free agent in July. He’s been linked to his former team, the Penguins, more than once, and you have to wonder with his sister joining the club, if the possibility remains on the table.

The Kessel watch is on!