Kessel, 35, ties NHL mark for consecutive games

Phil Kessel tied the NHL grounds for consecutive games played erstwhile helium deed the crystal for the Vegas Golden Knights against the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs connected Monday night.

Kessel, 35, played successful his 989th consecutive NHL game, a streak that began connected Nov. 3, 2009, erstwhile Kessel was a subordinate of the Leafs. That tied the grounds established by Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Keith Yandle past season, a streak that ended connected March 29, 2022.

Kessel is scheduled to play successful his 990th consecutive crippled for sole possession of the robust antheral grounds erstwhile the Golden Knights sojourn the San Jose Sharks connected Tuesday.

"It's a chill thing, obviously. It means I played a batch of games, right?" Kessel said earlier Monday's contest. "I don't know. I conscionable effort to play nary substance what. I've been fortunate implicit the years."

On manager Bruce Cassidy's 3rd enactment astatine the outset of the game, alongside forwards Michael Amadio and Brett Howden, Kessel was connected the crystal for the opening draw, and aft a speedy whistle, six seconds in, helium hopped onto the bench.

Kessel appeared to people his archetypal extremity arsenic a Golden Knight -- and the 400th of his vocation -- aboriginal successful the archetypal period. But it was overturned connected an offside call. Later that period, helium assisted connected Nicolas Roy's power-play extremity that opened the scoring.

Yandle, who retired aft past season, shattered Doug Jarvis' NHL grounds tally of 964 consecutive games that ended successful October 1987. As soon arsenic Yandle acceptable the caller mark, galore assumed Kessel would beryllium the 1 to drawback him. The winger entered his archetypal play with the Golden Knights having played 982 consecutive games.

Kessel said determination were times erstwhile helium was disquieted his streak could end.

"Oh yeah, there's been plentifulness of those. But we're present now," helium said. "There's evidently a batch of luck. There are immoderate nights you could person missed passim the time."

The closest Kessel came to having the streak extremity wasn't for an injury. On March 8, Kessel played 1 30-second displacement against the Detroit Red Wings to support his streak live earlier hopping connected a charter formation arranged by the Arizona Coyotes for the commencement of his daughter, Kapri Mary Kessel. He returned to the squad 2 days aboriginal successful Toronto to support the streak going.