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Last night, the Golden Knights announced the surprise signing of NHL veteran Phil Kessel.
“The team has signed forward Phil Kessel to a one-year contract worth an average annual value of $1,500,000,” the team said in a post on its website.
With his new contract, the 34-year-old winger has an opportunity to set a new NHL record for most consecutive games played, a benchmark often referred to as the “iron man record.” Kessel just needs to start the season and play in eight consecutive games to pass Keith Yandle.
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Kessel has appeared in 982 consecutive games under a variety of teams, including Boston, Toronto, Pittsburgh and Arizona.
Yandle broke the previous record of 964 straight games played by Doug Jarvis in January, and he had played in 989 consecutive games before his streak finally came to an end in April, when he was scratched against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In 1,204 career regular-season NHL games, Kessel has scored 399 goals and accumulated 956 points. His play in Arizona had been lackluster, and he put up 52 points in 82 games during the 2021-22 season.
A move to Vegas might get Kessel back on the right track, and at $1.5 million, it looks like it may be a steal if Kessel can put up 50-points again next season.
With 989 consecutive games just out of reach, will Kessel eventually hit 1000 consecutive games?
