“You guys said I couldn’t win,” Phil Kessel BLASTS Toronto media after 3rd Stanley Cup win with Golden Knights following 4-1 series lead

Former Toronto Leafs’ player Phil Kessel takes a brutal shot at Toronto haters after winning his 3rd Stanley Cup at T-Mobile Arena with the Vegas Golden Knights. He was called out by the fans and media during his time with the Leafs, as they stated the forward couldn’t help any team in winning a championship title.

Now not only is the forward celebrating his 3rd Stanley Cup Championship win, but he also took the time to rub salt on the Leafs. Following the Knights’ 9-3 win against the Florida Panthers, Kessel said that this win takes him back to his Toronto days, “You guys said I couldn’t win, and now I’m a three-time champ. Remember that.”

Although there may be some who may complain that Kessel didn’t play a bigger role in the Golden Knights Game 5 victory. But he did play in the long and grinding 82-regular season game and also played 4 games during the 2023 Stanley run with the Knights. He was snubbed after William Carrier returned to the lineup after injury. But his contribution to helping the team during the regular season cannot be looked down upon.

Related: “Misfits to champions” – NHL Twitter EXPLODES as Vegas Golden Knights crushes Florida Panthers 9-3 in Game 5 to win maiden Stanley Cup title

Phil Kessel takes shot at former NHL team, Toronto Maple Leafs

Soon after Leafs traded Phil Kessel, the forward went on to win Stanley Cup back-to-back in 2016 and 2017 with the Pittsburgh Penguins. With his current 2023 win with the Golden Knights, he has gathered 3 Cup rings. He noted that the 2023 win is more special as he can share his victory with his daughter Kapri Mary Kessel.

Kessel’s snub at Toronto may be a tough pill to swallow for the Leafs as they not only got rolled by Vegas forward but also Nazem Kadri after Avalanche won its 3rd Stanley Cup in 2022. Kadri, the current Flames player, blasted Toronto stating, “You can kiss my a**”.

It’s almost ironic how both former Leafs players, Kadri and Kessel were traded out of Toronto yet went on to win championship titles with their new clubs. Many noted that Leafs found a scapegoat in the name of Kessel. He was blamed and criticized as the player failed to end the team’s unfortunate Stanley Cup drought. 

The 35-year-old may credit playing with Penguins’ top players Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for his growth in his game, but it’s noteworthy how much the forward improved during his time with the Knights. Kessel is now one of the nine active players in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup 3-times including his teammate Jonathan Quick.

While the Knights are celebrating the franchise’s first win since expansion in 6-years, the Panthers will be taking care of their players prior to the start of regular-season. According to Panthers coach Paul Maurice, several players are injured and in need of surgery. The team may be missing out on many players in IL.

Apart from Matthew Tkachuk suffering from a broken sternum, Aaron Ekblad broke his foot, dislocated his shoulder twice during playoffs, and even tore his oblique. Similarly, Radko Gudas suffered a high ankle sprain yet went on to play in the playoffs, dismissing a 6-week recovery process.

Further details regarding player injuries will be given by the Cats, but as of now, few of the team’s core players are expected to be out for 4-6 months. This’ll leave the team in jeopardy at the start of the 2023-24 season. Following their loss, Maurice said he was satisfied as the players put their all into the playoff series.

Top 9 active players to win Stanley Cup three times are:

In case you missed:

Vegas Golden Knights hoist Lord Stanley for first time in franchise’s 6-year history, CRUSHES Panthers 3-9 in Game 5

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