With the opening NHL training camp is about to be established, Vegas Golden Knights announced on Wednesday that the club had signed one of the last remaining senior unrestricted free agents.
“The team signed a one-year Phil Kessel forward contract with an average annual value of $1,500,000,” the team said in a post on its website.
Arizona Coyotes right winger Phil Kessel (81 years old) fires at center Anaheim mallard Trevor Zegras (46 years old) during the third round of an NHL hockey game in Anaheim, California, Friday, Dec. 2021.
(AP Photo / Ashley Landis)
With the signing, the 34-year-old winger has the opportunity to set a new NHL record for most consecutive games played, a standard often referred to as the “iron man record”.
READ MORE: Keith Yandle sets NHL record by playing in 965th consecutive game
Kessel, who hails from Wisconsin, has appeared in 982 games in a row, just seven times short of Keith Yandle’s all-time record.
Yandle broke Doug Jarvis’ previous record of 964 games in January.
Kessel began his NHL career with the Boston Bruins during the 2006–07 season. He continues to play for Toronto Maple Leafs and the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he will be a member of two Stanley Cup winning teams. He’s spent the past three seasons with the Arizona Coyotes.
READ MORE: Toronto Maple Leafs Trade Phil Kessel with Pittsburgh Penguins
In 1,204 regular season NHL games of his career, Kessel has scored 399 goals and accumulated 956 points.
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