Phil Kessel reportedly willing to make tremendous sacrifice to keep playing in the NHL

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Mike Armenti
September 1, 2023 (11:05)

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If someone told you in 2014 that, within the next decade, Phil Kessel would have 3 Stanley Cups and be the NHL's Ironman, having played in 1,064 consecutive games, you'd have told that person that they were nuts and should probably be committed. Well, it's not so crazy now, is it?

Kessel, 35, is not done yet either. Per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, Kessel wants his career to continue and he's even willing to sacrifice his ironman streak to make it happen.

"The three-time Stanley Cup champion wants to play again in 2023-24. But, the most significant detail is that he's let teams know it won't be a problem if he's not an every-day player." Friedman said.

Despite playing every regular season game with the Golden Knights last season, Kessel fell out of the lineup during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, only appearing in four games during their run, all of which came during their first round series against the Winnipeg Jets.

Kessel had 36 points (14 goals, 22 assists), 30 penalty minutes and was a minus-seven in 82 games last season. He's still capable of helping a team in a depth role, but now it's just about finding the right fit. If he's willing to come in as a 13th forward somewhere, foregoing his ironman streak and playing only when needed, there could be a fit somewhere.