Former Bruin Phil Kessel to tie NHL history Monday night
NHL veteran was originally selected fifth overall by the Boston Bruins in the 2006 Entry Draft and has since turned in one of the best careers in league history.
Now in his 17th season, Kessel has appeared in 1,210 games with the Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Arizona Coyotes and now the Vegas Golden Knights. Over that span, the Wisconsin native has recorded 399 goals and 558 assists, 81 playoff points and two Stanley Cups.
What may be most impressive, though, is the NHL record he will officially tie tonight when the Golden Knights host the Maple Leafs.
At 35 years old, Kessel will tie retired defenseman Keith Yandle for the NHL record of consecutive games played at 989, or the ''Ironman Streak'' as it's referred to.
Barring any unfortunate incidents tonight, Kessel will officially sit atop the Ironman leaderboard at 990 games Tuesday night when the Golden Knights visit the San Jose Sharks.
Kessel will only be 11 games shy of playing 1000 straight games in the NHL. Something no one has ever done and likely will never do again, as the next closest active player is Brent Burns, with 684.
