Kessel to see limited action in opener

Gophers top women's hockey forward Amanda Kessel had hip surgery in June and is not 100 percent heading into the team's season opener, head coach Brad Frost said Tuesday.

"She's on a great recovery timeframe," Frost said. "I wasn't sure if she was going to be ready for our first weekend, and we're still determining that, but she's been skating with the team."

Kessel, now a junior, led the Gophers in many major offensive categories last season, including goals (32), assists (48), points (80), and plus/minus rating (+55). 

Frost said Kessel wasn't ready to play every other shift, but she would "probably get some time this weekend just to get acclimated back in the game."