MLB’s ironman Cal Ripken Jr. takes Twitter to congratulate forward Phil Kessel for breaking consecutive games record
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Cal Ripken Jr. congratulates Phil Kessel
Playing continuously for the full 82 games in the whole season is not an easy feat. Congratulatory messages flooded in as Vegas Golden Knights forward Phil Kessel achieved the milestone on Tuesday’s game against the San Jose Sharks.
He broke Keith Yandle’s record for the most consecutive games played, as the team won 4-2 at SAP Center in San Jose. The 35-year-old played his 990th straight game breaking the former’s record. Yandle set the highest record last season as he played for the Philadelphia Flyers.
Not only Yandle, but Kessel’s achievement also garnered the attention of MLB’s ultimate ironman Cal Ripken Jr. On his Twitter page, he stated, “Congratulations to Phil. Playing so many consecutive games in the grueling and demanding sport of hockey is remarkable”.
“He clearly has a passion for and love of his sport. I’m sure that the Golden Knights and the Las Vegas fans celebrated with Phil and his teammates, way to go!”
Former NHL ‘ironman’ congratulates Phil Kessel on his achievement
The MLB’s ironman played in 2,632 games for the Baltimore Orioles for a period from 1982 to 1998. He earned the ‘ironman’ title on September 6, 1995. He broke New York Yankees’ baseman Lou Gehrig’s 2,130 games played record in the process.
Apart from Yandle who had his record at 989, three other NHL players also had their names marked in the 900 row. Among them, there’s, Doug Jarvis who played 964 games, Gary Unger for 914, and Patrick Marleau who played 910 straight games. Kessel is now on a streak to play his 1000th game against Arizona Coyotes on November 17.
Keith Yandle commented, “To play in even one NHL game is a remarkable achievement. And to play in every game going back 13 years takes unbelievable talent to stay in the line day in and day out.”
While Golden Knights center Jack Eichel said, “When you think about it, it’s really incredible”. “You rarely see a guy play the full 82 games for the whole season. And for him to do it for so many seasons in a row, it’s pretty impressive.”
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Kaushani Chatterjee
(2140 Articles Published)