COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Katey Stone, The Landry Family Head Coach for Harvard Women's Ice Hockey, has been announced as the 2021 winner of the USA Hockey Distinguished Achievement Award.
 
Created in 1991, the USA Hockey Distinguished Achievement Award is presented annually to a U.S. citizen who has made hockey his or her profession, and has made outstanding contributions, on or off the ice, to the sport in America. No stranger to trailblazing in the sport, Stone is the first woman to be recognized for the award.
 
"What an honor it is to receive the USA Hockey Distinguished Achievement Award" said Stone. "It is humbling to share this award with so many greats in our game. A sincere thanks to all the players, coaches and staffs who have been a part of my coaching journey at Harvard and USA Hockey, I couldn't have done it without you!"
 
Stone has been at the helm of the Harvard women's ice hockey program since the 1994-95 season. In that time, she's accumulated seven ECAC Hockey regular season championships, six ECAC tournament titles, eight Ivy League titles and 11 Beanpot trophies. Additionally, her teams have appeared in the NCAA tournament 11 times, advanced to the Frozen Four six times and played in the national title game four times. Stone's 1998-99 squad holds the program best 33-1-0 season record and won the AWCHA National Title in 1999, the predecessor to the NCAA Women's Ice Hockey Championship.
 
Stone has guided 13 Olympians, 24 All-America selections, nine Patty Kazmaier award finalists and six winners that include Jennifer Botterill, the only player to be honored twice with the prestigious award. Eleven Crimson players have also gone on to be drafted into the NWHL and CWHL professional hockey leagues.
 
Individually, Stone is a three-time ECAC Hockey Coach of the Year and in 2020 was named one of Boston's most influential women by the Harvard Club of Boston. In 2014, she received the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award and was inducted into the New Hampshire Athletics Hall of Fame. She's also been recognized as a New England Hockey Writers' Coach of the Year, American Hockey Coaches Association Women's Coach of the Year, New England College Athletic Conference Women's Division I Coach of the Year and was one of New England Hockey Journal's 'Top 50 Most Influential People in New England Hockey' selections.
 
The 2013-14 season marked the first time since 1994-95 that Stone had not been on the bench with Harvard, as she served as the head coach of the United States Olympic Women's Ice Hockey team at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. As the first-ever female head coach of a USA Hockey team in the Olympics, Stone led the Americans to the silver medal in Sochi, taking part in the gold medal game versus rival Canada.
 
Prior to her time in Sochi, she led the USA to gold at the IIHF Women's World Championships in 2012 and 2013 and silver in 2011. Aside from the success on the World Championships stage, Stone has guided the Americans in five Four Nations Cups, including leading the U.S. to gold in 2008, 2011 and 2012. In addition, Stone guided the first-ever U.S. Under-18 Women's National Team to gold at the 2008 IIHF Under-18 Women's World Championship.
 
Stone has played a significant role in the overall administration of the sport as well, having served as a member of the NCAA Women's Ice Hockey Committee, NCAA Rules Committee, Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award Selection Committee and as president of the American Women's Hockey Coaches Association during her career.
 
Stone graduated from New Hampshire in 1989 with a degree in physical education. She was a captain and four-year letterwinner in both hockey and lacrosse for the Wildcats. Stone helped the hockey team win ECAC championships in 1986 and 1987 and earned All-ECAC honors in hockey. On the lacrosse field, she was a two-time All-America selection and contributed to the 1985 National Championship.
 
Heading into the 2021-22 season, Stone has put together a 494-253-54 (.650) all-time record at Harvard. Should she reach 500 career wins, she would be the first female coach, the third coach of a women's program and 30th coach of either a men's or women's program to do so. She'd be one of only 24 to accomplish the feat with a single program (men's or women's).
 
 
 
USA Hockey Distinguished Achievement Award Winners
 
Year    Name                          Hometown
2021    Katey Stone                Watertown, Conn.
2020    Dave Andrews            Wilbraham, Mass.
2019    Brian Murphy              Dover, N.H.
2018    Dean Blais                  International Falls, Minn.
2017    Joe Bertagna              Gloucester, Mass.
2016    Jerry York                   Watertown, Mass.
2015    Butch Johnson            Hayward, Wis.
2014    Jack Parker                 Somerville, Mass.
2013    Phil Housley                Stillwater, Minn.
2012    Peter Karmanos          Detroit, Mich.
2011    Dennis LaRue             Spokane, Wash.
2010    Brian Burke                 Edina, Minn.
2009    Lou Nanne                  Minneapolis, Minn.
2008    Willie O'Ree                San Diego, Calif.
2007    Doug Ross                  Dearborn, Mich.
2006    Tim Taylor                   Guilford, Conn.
2005    1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team
2004    Mike Eaves                 Madison, Wis.
2003    Brett Hull                     Belleville, Ont.
2002    Jeff Cunniff                 East Orange, N.J.
2001    Herb Brooks                Shoreview, Minn.
2000    Jeff Sauer                   Madison, Wis.
1999    George Gund III          San Jose, Calif.
1998    Ben Smith                   Gloucester, Mass.
1997    Ron Wilson                 Orange, Calif.
1996    Neal Broten                 Roseau, Minn.
1995    Joe Mullen                  Pittsburgh, Pa.
1994    Kevin Constantine      International Falls, Minn.
1993    Pat LaFontaine           Buffalo, N.Y.
1992    Bill Cleary                   Boston, Mass.
1991    Bob Johnson               Pittsburgh, Pa.