Phil Kessel not ready to retire despite lack of NHL interest

The last time Phil Kessel stepped on the NHL ice, he was holding the Stanley Cup.

A member of the Vegas Golden Knights 2022-23 championship team, Kessel played just four playoff games that year after playing all 82 regular season games.

But for the man who holds the league’s Ironman streak for most consecutive games played, he’s now around 14 months removed from his last pro hockey action.

And while retirement might be an option given that it’s been over a year since he was employed as a pro hockey player, the 36-year-old fifth overall pick from the 2006 draft is still hoping to extend his career.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on today’s episode of 32 Thoughts that Kessel is still in the process of trying to latch on with a team somewhere this season.

“He wants to play,” Friedman said. “I heard it from a couple people…. he’s legit about it. He loves hockey, and he has put it out there that he wants to play.”

Kessel has 992 career points across 1,286 games played. He’s played for five different NHL franchises in the past, suiting up for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Arizona Coyotes, and Boston Bruins in addition to his time in Vegas.

Along with the big win with Vegas, Kessel also lifted the Stanley Cup in each of his first two seasons in Pittsburgh in 2016 and 2017.

While Kessel sat out all of last season, there was one team that came a little closer to offering him a contract than the other 31.

The Vancouver Canucks had worked out Kessel for a lengthy period late last season but opted against bringing him into the fold.

We’ll keep our eyes out over the next few weeks to see if Kessel does in fact find a team to potentially finish his career with, with the NHL regular season kicking off on October 4.

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