Kessel scored his 400th career goal during the Vegas Golden Knights’ 4-2 victory against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday, becoming the new “iron man” of the National Hockey League in the process.
He did it wonderfully. The run of appearances by the winger, who is now 35 years old and has played in 990 straight games, began on November 3, 2009.
Kessel Thought Back on The Significant Event
“Kessel reflected on the momentous occasion, which culminated with his new teammates cheering and screaming his name in the locker room as they welcomed him to the club. “I was thrilled to receive it,” he recalled. “It was a memorable evening. I’m delighted to take first place.”
Kessel was able to surpass the previous mark, which had been set by defender Keith Yandle of the Philadelphia Flyers during the previous season, in a rather short amount of time. William Carrier and Nicolas Roy were also on the field when Kessel first entered the game.
His record-breaking shift lasted for a total of 26 seconds until there was a pause in the action, which resulted in his return to the bench.
Throughout the broadcast, Kessel could be seen glancing up at the video screen inside the SAP Center with a pleased expression on his face.
At the very first TV timeout, the Sharks paid tribute to Kessel for his record-breaking performance. Kessel, a winger with the Knights, was cheered by fans and raised his arms as a show of appreciation.
It was pleasant. Thank you very much. This is optional on their part. Kessel, who had spent the previous three seasons with the Arizona Coyotes, remarked, “But I appreciate it out of them.”
Kessel Opened the Scoring with His First Goal Of The Season
Kessel scored the game’s opening goal, his first of the season, and his first with the Golden Knights, later in the first period. It was also the 400th of his career, putting him in exclusive company as just the 12th player of American birth to achieve that mark.
Vegas teammate William Karlsson described the atmosphere as “simply pure euphoria from everyone.” All I heard were roars of approval and yells of delight. It felt great to see it being put in.
Kessel came close to matching Yandle’s total against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday, but his goal was disallowed due to offsides. This time, there was no uncertainty.
Shea Theodore, William Karlsson, and Mark Stone scored in the third period to secure the victory for the Golden Knights on what was meant to be a night to remember. For his first game against the Sharks since being traded this summer, Adin Hill made 29 saves.
According to Hill, “I believe all the lads wanted to unite around him.” We didn’t have the second period we were hoping for, so we had a short pep talk and a gut check in the locker room. In the third quarter, I felt like we started to get things together, and it showed in the score.
Yandle’s run of consecutive games played began on March 26, 2009, making him the record holder on January 25, 2022. He retired before the start of the 2022-23 season, bringing his total number of consecutive games played to 989.
Before Yandle, the record was held by Doug Jarvis, a forward for the Montreal Canadiens who played in 964 consecutive games from October 10, 1983, until his retirement on October 10, 1987.
When Jarvis’s run ended, Kessel was just 8 days old.
Finishing Line
For over 35 years until Yandle broke his record, Jarvis was considered the NHL’s iron man. Still, many have always thought Yandle’s rule may be temporary.
By the time Yandle surpassed Jarvis’ record, Kessel had already played in 941 consecutive games. Yandle, on the other hand, was champion for just nine months until Kessel overtook him.
