St. Lawrence University women's hockey alumna and member of the St. Lawrence Athletic Hall of Fame Michele Amidon '94 will be honored by the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) with the organization's Women's Ice Hockey Founders Award, which honors a member of the hockey community or college coaching profession who has contributed to the overall growth and development of the sport of women's ice hockey in the United States through their enthusiasm, passion and selflessness, later this year.

"Michele has done so much for and in women's hockey since attending St. Lawrence," said head women's hockey coach Chris Wells '92. "not only was she a great player while setting the siren off in Appleton, she has had a successful career in moving women's hockey forward. Her work with USA hockey helped create the current structure for our National Team that is looking to defend its gold medal in the upcoming Olympics. This is a great honor for Michele, and very well deserved."

A 2009 Hall of Fame inductee, Amidon was a captain and MVP of both the women's hockey and women's soccer teams during her time on campus. She was the ECAC Rookie and Division III Player of the Year as a first-year, and earned ECAC MVP honors as a junior. She was part of two ECAC Division III Championship teams and helped the Saints earn an ECAC playoff bid in her final two seasons.

Amidon played for the U.S. Women's National Team, winning a silver medal at the 1992 IIHF World Women's Championships. After graduating from St. Lawrence, she coached at Bowdoin for nine years — winning NESCAC Coach of the Year honors twice and NCAA Division III Coach of the Year distinction in 2003. 

She has international coaching experience, serving as an assistant coach with the U.S. National Women's 22 & Under Team that competed in the 1999 Christmas Cup in Germany, and has served as a head coach and Director of USA Hockey's Player Development Camps.

Amido was named USA Hockey's first Director of Women's Hockey and general manager of the Women's National and Olympic Teams in 2006. She served as a member of the IIHF Women's Committee from 2008-2012 and was a regional manager of the American Development Model for USA Hockey. 

She is currently a female hockey advisory committee member for the NHL and NHLPA, the NHL female ambassador for the Colorado Avalanche, the community relations specialist for South Suburban's Sports Complex and the 8U director for Arapahoe Hockey Association. 

Former St. Lawrence University men's hockey coach and 2018 Legend of Appleton inductee Mike McShane is also being honored by the AHCA as a John MacInnes Award winner.