Phil Kessel matched the all-time NHL mark for consecutive games played on Monday, appearing for the 989th consecutive time.
The Vegas Golden Knights right winger skated against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Las Vegas to tie the mark set by Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Keith Yandle last season.
Kessel appeared to open the scoring in the first period against Toronto, but the goal was overturned after the Maple Leafs successfully challenged that the play was offside. Just 35 seconds later, Kessel wound up with an assist as Nicolas Roy put Vegas up 1-0.
“I thought I scored actually,” Kessel said. “It is what it is. We ended up scoring right after, and that’s all that counts.”
Kessel is set to take sole possession of the record on Tuesday when the Golden Knights visit the San Jose Sharks.
Regarding getting a victory on a night when he tied the record, Kessel said, “It’s better when you win, and if we can do it tomorrow, it would be great.”
Kessel, 35, began his streak on Nov. 3, 2009, while playing for Toronto in the 13th game of the Maple Leafs’ season. He was sidelined for the first 12 games of the campaign after undergoing shoulder surgery in the offseason. Kessel began his career with the Boston Bruins (2006-07 to 2008-09) prior to starting the streak.
He since has played for the Maple Leafs (2009-10 to 2014-15), the Pittsburgh Penguins (2015-16 to 2018-19), the Arizona Coyotes (2019-20 to 2021-22) and the Golden Knights (2022-23).
Yandle moved to the top of the list when he appeared in his 965th consecutive game on Jan. 25, passing the record that had been held by Doug Jarvis. Yandle began his streak in March 2009, and his run ended when he was scratched from a game on April 2.
Jarvis’ streak ran from 1975-87.
Kessel was part of consecutive Stanley Cup-winning teams with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017.
With his assist in Vegas’ 3-1 win over Toronto, Kessel has 399 goals and 559 assists in 1,211 career NHL games.
–Field Level Media
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