“Great organization, great team, a winning place” – Phil Kessel inks $1.5 million contract with Golden Knights

“Great organization, great team, a winning place” – Phil Kessel inks $1.5 million contract with Golden Knights

Phil Kessel

On Wednesday Phil Kessel signed a $1.5 million contract for 1-year with the Vegas Golden Knights. Last season, he played with the Arizona Coyotes and recorded 52 points with 8 goals and 44 assists in 82 games. 

The Golden Knights were tied for 12th in NHL with 3.20 goals per game, last season. During the offseason, they traded Evgenii Dadonov to Montreal Canadiens for Shea Weber, and Max Pacioretty to the Carolina Hurricanes for future considerations.

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“Very motivated” – Phil Kessel excited to be part of the Vegas Golden Knights

Phil Kessel
Phil Kessel

On the following day, he stated, “I’m excited”. “Obviously it’s a great organization, a great team, a winning place. When you get a chance to play on a good team that wants to win, you’re always looking forward to it.” “I’m very motivated to come in here and help this team try to contend. I’m very motivated and I think I’m going to have a great year.”

Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon commented, “Over the course of the offseason we’ve been looking to add a veteran forward,”. “We’ve had conversations with Phil for a while now, and felt from our perspective it was a great fit and I think Phil felt the same.” During the 2006 NHL Draft, Kessel was selected by the Boston Bruins as the 5th overall.

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In a total of 1,204 regular season games, played for the Coyotes, Pittsburg Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Bruins, Kessel recorded a total of 956 points with 399 goals and 557 assists, while scoring 81 points with 34 goals, and 47 assists in 96 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He also led the Penguins to win the Stanley Cup in 2016, and in 2017.

Golden Knights head coach, Bruce Cassidy said, “He’s a guy that brings playmaking ability so he’s going to upgrade our power play”. “He’s got Stanley Cup championship experience, so another guy in the room that has been there and done it. Obviously, longevity in the game. He’s a guy that comes to play every night, so I think he’s going to check some boxes for us that will really help us.”

Kessel further noted, “I haven’t talked to [Cassidy] yet but I expect to have a big role here”. “There’s a lot of great players there, I just want to fit in and obviously help as much as I can. I have a lot to prove from the last couple of years here. I don’t think I’ve changed much as a player. I expect to have a good year and help this team try to win.”

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