Phil Kessel's former Leafs teammate recalls three-time Stanley Cup champion's hilarious altercation with head coach

By Ankit Kumar

Modified Aug 31, 2023 15:07 GMT

Former Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman John-Michael Liles recently offered a glimpse into the captivating clash between then-head coach Randy Carlyle and superstar forward Phil Kessel.

Carlyle, a seasoned coach with a no-nonsense approach, embarked on a mission to transform the Toronto Maple Leafs into a formidable force. Among his strategies was the introduction of team weigh-ins, a practice aimed at ensuring players met a target weight for optimal performance.

Carlyle's determination was perceivable, and he had a specific vision in mind for each player, including superstar forward Phil Kessel.

Liles' story on the "Missin Curfew" podcast paints a vivid picture of the personalities and memorable moments that unfolded in Toronto:

"He started team weigh-ins here in Toronto. And so he had this target that every guy should be playing at. He had this idea of what Phil should be playing at, and it wasn't I think it was probably 15 or 20 pounds less than what Phil was currently playing at when Randy came in."

"And I just remember one time we were weighing in, and the strength coach, Bells, was like, 'hey, Phil, you got to come weigh in.' And Phil's like, 'F**k you.'

"And so Bells brings the weigh in sheet down to Randy, and Randy's like, 'well, where's Phil's weight?' And he goes, 'I won't weigh in.' He goes, 'you tell him to go weigh in.' And started yelling at Bells, the strength coach."

Randy Carlyle's demand that Phil Kessel comply caused quite the scene

Randy Carlyle demanded that Phil Kessel comply with the weigh-in, prompting Kessel to express his sentiments loudly and unapologetically, according to John-Michael Lyles.

"So Bells comes back, and he's like, 'Phil, you got to weigh in. Randy said, you got to weigh in.' And Phil pokes his head out of the change room, down the hall toward the coach room.

"He goes, 'You tell that fat f**k if he wants me to weigh in, he can come weigh me in himself.' Screamed it down the hallway."

The exchange highlighted the clash between Randy Carlyle's firm leadership style and Phil Kessel's individualistic approach.