Phil Kessel
Three-time Stanley Cup champion and NHL ironman record holder.
Philip Joseph Kessel Jr., born October 2, 1987, is an American professional ice hockey winger currently an unrestricted free agent. Known as "Phil the Thrill," he has suited up for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Arizona Coyotes, and Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL. A three-time Stanley Cup champion, Kessel won back-to-back titles with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017, then added a third with the Golden Knights in 2023. A natural goal scorer, he has netted over 400 career goals. He also holds the NHL’s all-time ironman record, having played 1,064 consecutive games.
Kessel came up through the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, identified as an elite player before turning 18. He played college hockey at the University of Minnesota in the WCHA. The Boston Bruins selected him fifth overall in the 2006 NHL entry draft. After his rookie season in 2006–07, he received the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for overcoming testicular cancer while continuing his career. In 2009, Boston traded him to Toronto, where he spent six seasons before a 2015 deal sent him to Pittsburgh. He won his first two Cups with the Penguins, beating the San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators, and his third with Vegas in 2023 over the Florida Panthers.
Kessel’s ironman streak began in the 2009–10 season and reached 1,064 games. During the 2020–21 season, he became the fifth player ever to hit 900 consecutive games. On October 25, 2022, he passed Keith Yandle’s streak by playing his 990th straight game, and on November 17, 2022, he became the first NHL player to reach 1,000 consecutive games. The streak remains the league record.
Internationally, Kessel has represented the United States at three World Championships and the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics. He won a silver medal in 2010 and was named the tournament’s top forward in 2014.
Kessel grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, playing youth hockey for the AAA Madison Capitols. As a bantam in 2001–02, he posted 286 points (176 goals, 110 assists) in 86 games. The next year, with the Capitols under-18 team, he produced 158 points (113 goals, 45 assists) in 71 games. He credits former Capitols coach and 1980 U.S. Olympian Bob Suter for shaping his game.
In 2003–04, Kessel joined the U.S. National Team Development Program’s U17 squad in Ann Arbor, Michigan, setting NTDP records with 52 goals for a U17–18 player.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 1987-10-02
- Birth Place
- Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
- Height Ft
- 5
- Height In
- 11
- Weight Lb
- 208
- Position
- Right wing
- Shoots
- Right
- League
- NHL
- Team
- Free Agent
- Former Teams
- Boston Bruins / Toronto Maple Leafs / Pittsburgh Penguins / Arizona Coyotes / Vegas Golden Knights
- Ntl Team
- USA
- Draft
- 5th overall
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Kessel played youth hockey with the AAA Madison Capitols in his hometown of Madison, Wisconsin. He then moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to join the United States National Team Development Program's U17 squad, setting NTDP records for goals (52) for a U17–18 player. He finished his amateur career playing collegiate hockey in the NCAA for the University of Minnesota in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA). He was selected fifth overall in the 2006 NHL entry draft by the Boston Bruins. After his rookie season, 2006–07, he was awarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for overcoming testicular cancer while continuing his professional career. In 2009, Kessel was traded from Boston to the Toronto Maple Leafs where he spent six seasons before being dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2015. Kessel won his first and second Stanley Cup championships with the Pittsburgh Penguins in back-to-back seasons with wins over the San Jose Sharks and the Nashville Predators, respectively; he then won a third Stanley Cup championship with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023, over the Florida Panthers.
Reader's Guide
Kessel's significance lies in his remarkable durability and scoring ability. He holds the all-time NHL ironman record for the most consecutive games played, with 1,064, a streak that spanned from the onset of the 2009–10 season. During the 2020–21 season, he became the fifth player ever to record 900 consecutive games played. During the 2022–23 season, Kessel passed Keith Yandle's streak as the longest in NHL history on October 25, 2022, after playing his 990th consecutive game; several weeks later, on November 17, Kessel became the first player in NHL history to play 1,000 consecutive games. He is a three-time Stanley Cup champion, winning back-to-back championships with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017 and with the Golden Knights in 2023. Kessel also plays internationally for the United States, and has played at three World Championships and the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics, winning a silver medal in 2010 and being named the top forward in 2014. His legacy as a natural goal scorer is cemented by 400 career goals.
Did You Know?
- Kessel was awarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 2007 for overcoming testicular cancer while continuing his professional career.
- He holds the NHL record for most consecutive games played, with 1,064.
- He was named the top forward at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
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