Kessel would be fine with Canucks ending his ironman streak
All signs point towards Phil Kessel joining the Vancouver Canucks in the coming days.
The veteran winger is skating with the organization’s AHL team in Abbotsford and — assuming there are no hiccups — will likely sign very soon.
While the veteran winger brings a lot of skill to any team, one thing that some fans may not realize is that he also brings the NHL’s longest ironman streak. The 36-year-old has suited up for 1,064 consecutive games, an NHL record.
It’s an impressive achievement, but Kessel appeared to fear that it could work against him in free agency last summer.
It can be an awkward situation with a player in Kessel’s situation, who could be in line for a healthy scratch in the midst of an ironman streak.
Keith Yandle held the league’s active ironman streak prior to Kessel and was almost scratched by head coach Joel Quenneville when with the Florida Panthers. However, blowback from the planned decision reportedly forced the coach to change his mind.
Yandle was eventually scratched by now-Vancouver Canucks assistant coach Mike Yeo when they were both with the Philadelphia Flyers.
But Kessel made it clear last summer that he would be open to being scratched and having the record end, as long as he was given an opportunity to play.
The veteran forward extended his streak last year by playing all 82 regular season games for the Vegas Golden Knights. When the postseason rolled around, he dressed for just four games. Playoff games do not count for the record, so the streak continued.
It’s clear that Kessel doesn’t want his impressive streak to become a distraction. He’s looking for a chance to play, and joining the Canucks is a great chance to join a contender. As the first-place team gets ready for the final stretch of the season, adding a player like Kessel could significantly help their forward depth.
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