Phil Kessel hits the ice wearing Canucks colours in Abbotsford
We seem to be inching closer and closer to an official agreement being signed between Phil Kessel and the Vancouver Canucks.
The winger has taken the next step in the process, as he was on the ice today in Abbotsford. Kessel was wearing Canucks colours during the skate, although his gear seemed to be a mishmash of different teams including what looked to be gloves from the Arizona Coyotes.
Phil Kessel on the ice in Abby! pic.twitter.com/uZh0WvLWex
— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) February 14, 2024
The 3x Stanley Cup Champ has touched down in Abbotsford. pic.twitter.com/wqJwrpf7CC
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 14, 2024
The Canucks announced yesterday that the veteran winger had landed on the West Coast and would be skating with the club’s AHL team.
Kessel hasn’t played an NHL game since April 24 of last year during a first-round playoff series against the Winnipeg Jets. His skating in Abbotsford will give the Canucks a chance to evaluate his fitness level.
Signs point to this conditioning stint being rather short. Head coach Rick Tocchet shined some light on the process last night when talking to the media.
“I think Jim [Rutherford] last couple of weeks was talking to his agent. He’s going to go down there and skate two, three days,” said Tocchet after the team’s 4-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. “See how he is down there and then reevaluate from there.”
Tocchet has coached Kessel in the past with both the Pittsburgh Penguins and Arizona Coyotes, so is familiar with the player.
Kessel has an impressive career resume including 992 points, three Stanley Cups, and an ironman streak of more than 1,000 games.
The 36-year-old won his latest Stanley Cup just last season with the Golden Knights, although he suited up for just four postseason games.
The veteran has 16 seasons with double-digit goals. Last night, the Canucks became the first team to have 11 players reach the 10-goal mark. Adding Kessel would only further strengthen the goal-scoring depth already on the roster.