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Phil Kessel actively seeking teams to continue his passion for hockey, reports Eliotte Friedman
Veteran winger Phil Kessel is actively seeking opportunities to continue his hockey career, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. The three-time All-Star last played in 2023 with the Vegas Golden Knights, where he won his third Stanley Cup.
In his 32 Thoughts podcast appearance, Friedman revealed that Kessel, 36, has been contacting teams around the league in hopes of landing a contract for next season.
"He wants to play, I've heard this," Friedman said. "That seems to confirm it, and then I heard from a couple of people that he's legit about it."
Kessel couldn't secure an NHL spot for 2023-24 season. He trained with the Canucks' AHL affiliate but wasn't signed.
"(Phil) Kessel was calling teams and really wanted to play. ... He wants to play. He loves hockey and wants to play"
Before his stint in Vegas, Kessel spent time with the Maple Leafs, Penguins, Coyotes and Bruins.
Fans react to Phil Kessel actively searching for NHL teams to join
There's a lot of excitement among fans following reports that Phil Kessel is looking to join a team this season. Many fans are urging teams to offer the veteran a tryout contract (PTO) due to his wealth of experience.
One fan tweeted:
"Get the man a PTO!"
Another wrote:
"I feel like Ottawa should sign him."
"Somebody sign this man damn," one fan wrote on X.
However, some are questioning Kessel's form at his age.
"If so, then put in the conditioning work. Hot dogs might have been fine 10 years ago, but age and lack of fitness will scuttle any career," one fan commented.
"He's a touch too old for his size and love of footlongs!!!," another fan wrote.
"He shows up out of shape pretty much every year. Dude has been a soft ass liability, one-trick-pony for a long time. Got carried on the 3rd line and a tremendous PP to rack up some points and win 2 cups before it came to light that, once again, teammates don’t wanna play w/ him," one wrote.
In his accomplished career, Phil Kessel has amassed 992 points (413 goals, 579 assists) in 1,286 regular-season games. He also holds the record for the longest consecutive games played streak in NHL history, at 1,064.
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