With the opening of NHL training camps soon to be on the horizon, the Vegas Golden Knights announced Wednesday that the club had signed one of the last remaining, high-profile unrestricted free agents.
“The team has signed forward Phil Kessel to a one-year contract worth an average annual value of $1,500,000,” the team said in a post on its website.
Arizona Coyotes right wing Phil Kessel (81) shoots against Anaheim Ducks center Trevor Zegras (46) during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif., Friday, Dec. 17, 2021.
(AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
With the contract, the 34-year-old winger has an opportunity to set a new NHL record for most consecutive games played, a benchmark often referred to as the “iron man record.”
READ MORE: Keith Yandle sets NHL record by playing in 965th straight game
Kessel, who originally hails from Wisconsin, has appeared in 982 consecutive games, just seven shy of Keith Yandle’s all-time record.
Yandle broke the previous record of 964 straight games played by Doug Jarvis in January.
Kessel began his NHL career with the Boston Bruins in the 2006-07 season. He went on to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Pittsburgh Penguins where he would be a member of two Stanley Cup winning teams. He spent the last three seasons with the Arizona Coyotes.
READ MORE: Toronto Maple Leafs trade Phil Kessel to Pittsburgh Penguins
In 1,204 career regular-season NHL games, Kessel has scored 399 goals and accumulated 956 points.
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