Phil Kessel became the NHL’s new ironman Tuesday night, and he wasn’t done there.
The Vegas Golden Knights forward broke retired blue-liner Keith Yandle’s record by suiting up for his 990th consecutive game in Vegas’ road tilt against the San Jose Sharks.
Here’s the updated all-time top five.
| Player | Consecutive Games Played |
|---|---|
| Phil Kessel | 990 |
| Keith Yandle | 989 |
| Doug Jarvis | 964 |
| Garry Unger | 914 |
| Patrick Marleau | 910 |
Kessel then notched his 400th career goal Late in the first period, one night after having that milestone taken away from him after an offside challenge. He tied the ironman record in that contest, in which the Golden Knights defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Sharks and the fans in San Jose acknowledged Kessel for the streak.
A standing ovation for the (iron) man of the hour, Phil Kessel! 👏 pic.twitter.com/ALZ0A1wTcW
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 26, 2022
His consecutive games streak began Nov. 3, 2009, while he was with Toronto. Yandle passed Jarvis to claim the record in January. His run ended March 29 as a healthy scratch April 2. Yandle then retired in September.
Colorado Avalanche forward Andrew Cogliano ranks seventh with an ongoing streak of 831. He’s the next-closest active player. Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brent Burns is currently in 10th place with an active run of 685. Marleau retired in May as the NHL’s all-time leader in total games played.
Quite a few players have gotten a taste of the NHL since Kessel’s run began.
A total of 2,790 players have appeared in an NHL game since Phil Kessel began his iron-man streak on November 3, 2009.
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) October 24, 2022
Kessel is in his 17th season and his first with the Golden Knights. The veteran winger played the previous three with the Arizona Coyotes and the four before that with the Pittsburgh Penguins – helping them win the Stanley Cup twice. He also suited up for six campaigns with the Leafs and his first three with the Boston Bruins.
The Wisconsin-born forward entered Tuesday’s game with 559 assists and 399 goals in 1,211 career contests.
Kessel won the Masterton Trophy following his rookie season in 2006-07 after being diagnosed with testicular cancer. He was diagnosed that December but missed only 11 games following surgery.