Hailing from North Carolina, Kendall Hanley, Class of 2004, arrived at Williston for her junior year to skate with the Wildcats. While here, she served as captain of the varsity hockey team, as well as the varsity softball and volleyball teams, and sang with the Widdigers. Determined to compete at the collegiate level, she stayed through a postgraduate year.

After graduating and completing her successful career as a NCAA DIII ice hockey player at Elmira College and SUNY Oswego, Kendall began her journey to become a hockey official in 2008.

Kendall’s passion for officiating launched her into one of the most decorated officiating careers over the past 15 years. She was the first female official to be selected to work the North American Hockey League Robertson Cup and was chosen by the National Hockey League to work various pre-season prospect tournaments. Kendall was also a member of the first group of female officials to work in the American Hockey League full time.

In 2021, she earned the Ben Allison Award, presented annually to an official in the USA Hockey Officiating Development Program who is recognized by their peers for giving 100 percent on the ice and representing USA Hockey in the finest manner. In 2023, her passion for and dedication to officiating were acknowledged with the Jamie Huntley-Park Award, which recognizes a female official who has made outstanding contributions to the growth of officiating and represents what it means to be a great teammate.

Selected to work the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, Kendall ultimately officiated in the women’s gold medal game. She now makes her home in Minneapolis and serves as the Manager of Officiating for the North American Hockey League, focusing on the recruitment and development of the next generation of officials.