Phil Kessel Sets Consecutive Game Record and Scores 400th Career Goal

Back on March 29th, Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Keith Yandle set the NHL record for consecutive games played at 989. Yandle retired after last season, and his record lasted a little less than seven months. On March 25th, Vegas Golden Knights forward Phil Kessel played in his 990th consecutive game, a streak that started November 3rd, 2009 when he was with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Kessel was selected by the Boston Bruins in the first round of the 2006 NHL draft, the fifth pick overall, after playing one year of college hockey at the University of Minnesota. He began his NHL career as a 19 year old with the Bruins in the 2006-7 season. He played three seasons in Boston before being traded to the Leafs in 2009. After six years in Toronto, Kessel was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins, playing on Pittsburgh’s Stanley Cup winning 2015-16 and 2016-17 teams. After four years in Pittsburgh, Kessel was traded again, this time to the Arizona Coyotes, playing there for three years before signing with Vegas before the start of the 2022-23 season. Kessel was also a member of the 2010 and 2014 U.S. Olympic Hockey teams, winning a Silver Medal in 2010.

The Golden Knights were in San Jose on October 25th for the record breaking game, and Kessel made it even more memorable by scoring his 400th career goal in the first period, his first of the season. To cap it off, the Golden Knights beat the Sharks 4-2, to stay on top of both the Pacific Division and Western Conference here in the very early going of the 2022-23 season.