Phil Kessel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Phil Kessel |
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Kessel with the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2017 Stanley Cup Finals
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| Born | October 2, 1987 Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. |
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| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 202 lb (92 kg; 14 st 6 lb) | ||
| Position | Right Wing | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| NHL team Former teams |
Arizona Coyotes Boston Bruins Toronto Maple Leafs Pittsburgh Penguins |
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| National team |  United States |
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| NHL Draft | 5th overall, 2006 Boston Bruins |
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| Playing career | 2006–present | ||
Philip Joseph Kessel Jr. (born October 2, 1987) is an American professional ice hockey right winger playing for the Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins.
Kessel is a product of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program as an identified elite player under the age of 18. He finished his amateur career playing collegiate hockey in the NCAA for the University of Minnesota in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) conference. He was then selected fifth overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the Boston Bruins. After his rookie season, 2006–07, he was awarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for overcoming testicular cancer while continuing his professional career. In 2009, Kessel was traded from Boston to the Toronto Maple Leafs where he spent six seasons before being dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2015. Kessel won his first and second Stanley Cup championships with the Pittsburgh Penguins in back to back seasons with wins over the San Jose Sharks and the Nashville Predators, respectively. Kessel is known as a natural goal scorer and for his iron man streak – he is one of three players in the NHL with an active streak (as of April 2019) of over 500 consecutive games.
Kessel plays internationally for the United States, and has played at three World Championships and the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics, winning a silver medal in 2010 and being named the top forward in 2014.
Awards
- Kessel won the Bob Johnson Award at the USA Hockey Annual Congress (for excellence in international hockey competition during a specific season of play) in 2005.
- Kessel was named the WCHA Rookie of the Year was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team and won the MacNaughton Cup in 2005-06.
- Kessel won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for overcoming testicular cancer and continuing to play.
- Kessel was named the NHL's "First Star" of the Week during the week of December 8-14, 2008 with 8 points (3 goals and 5 assists) in four games in 2008-09.
Images for kids
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Kessel with the Boston Bruins
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Kessel with the Penguins during the 2016 playoffs.
