Career Timeline of Phil Kessel: Major Achievements and Milestones

Discover the career path of Phil Kessel, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Phil Kessel, nicknamed "Phil the Thrill", is an American professional ice hockey winger currently an unrestricted free agent. He's played for several NHL teams, including the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Arizona Coyotes, and Vegas Golden Knights. Kessel is a three-time Stanley Cup champion, winning consecutive titles with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017, and another with the Golden Knights in 2023, marking a significant achievement in his NHL career.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

2001: AAA Bantam Squad

In the 2001-02 season, Kessel put up 286 points for his AAA bantam squad.

2002: AAA Bantam Squad

During the 2002-03 season, Kessel produced 158 points with the Capitols under-18 team.

2003: Joined US National Team Development Program

For the 2003–04 season, Kessel moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to join the United States National Team Development Program's U17 squad.

2004: World Junior Championship

During Kessel's 2004–05 campaign with the NTDP, he played for Team USA at the World Junior Championship held in Grand Forks, North Dakota, where the team ultimately finished fourth. He had four goals and two assists in seven games.

2004: Set NTDP Records

During the 2004–05 season, Kessel played full-time on the U18 team scoring 52 goals and 98 points.

2004: World U17 Hockey Challenge

In 2004, Phil Kessel and the under-17 National Team Development Program squad competed at the World U17 Hockey Challenge, finishing fourth overall. Kessel finished fourth overall in points (10) and second overall in goals (6).

2004: IIHF World U18 Championship Silver Medal

Later in 2004, Phil Kessel played as an underaged player at the IIHF World U18 Championship, where the U.S. won silver. He led the tournament in goals with seven and was named to the tournament all-star team, finishing with a total of ten points.

2005: U18 Team

During the 2004-05 season, Kessel played full-time on the U18 team scoring 52 goals and 98 points, both records for an U18 player at the time.

August 17, 2006: Signed with the Boston Bruins

On August 17, 2006, Kessel signed an entry-level contract with the Boston Bruins.

October 6, 2006: NHL Debut

On October 6, 2006, Kessel made his NHL debut in a game against the Florida Panthers.

2006: Shootout goals as a Rookie

For the 2006-07 season Kessel was second among rookies with four shootout goals.

2006: Drafted by the Boston Bruins

In 2006, Kessel was selected fifth overall in the NHL Entry Draft by the Boston Bruins.

January 23, 2007: NHL YoungStars Game

On January 23, 2007, Kessel was named to the NHL YoungStars Game and recorded a hat-trick.

2007: Led the league in game-deciding shootout goals

For the 2007–08 season Kessel led the league with 5 game-deciding shootout goals.

2008: Scoring Amongst Other NHL Players

In 2011 Kessel was among eight other NHL players who had scored 30 goals or more in a season three times since the 2008–09 regular season.

2008: Point Streak

In late 2008, Kessel tied Ed Olczyk for longest point streak by an American-born NHL player with an 18 game streak.

April 12, 2009: Second Career Hat-Trick

On April 12, 2009, Kessel scored his second career hat-trick during a game against the New York Islanders.

September 18, 2009: Traded to Toronto Maple Leafs

On September 18, 2009, the Boston Bruins traded Kessel to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

November 3, 2009: Maple Leafs Debut

On November 3, 2009, Kessel made his debut as a Toronto Maple Leaf against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

December 5, 2009: First Game Against Former Team

On December 5, 2009, Kessel played against his former team, the Boston Bruins, for the first time as a Maple Leaf, at TD Garden.

2009: Stanley Cup Playoffs & Shoulder Surgery

In 2009, Kessel played an integral role in Boston's Stanley Cup playoff run before undergoing off-season shoulder surgery.

2009: Traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs

In 2009, Kessel was traded from the Boston Bruins to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

January 1, 2010: Olympic Roster

On January 1, 2010, Kessel was named to the Olympic roster to represent Team USA at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

2010: Winter Olympics

In 2010, Kessel represented the United States at the Winter Olympics, winning a silver medal.

2010: First Round Pick to Boston

In 2010, the Toronto Maple Leafs' first-round pick was traded to the Boston Bruins.

April 2, 2011: 30-Goal Season

On April 2, 2011, Kessel posted his third consecutive 30-goal season after scoring against the Ottawa Senators.

October 8, 2011: Hat-Trick as a Maple Leaf

On October 8, 2011, Kessel scored his first hat-trick as a Maple Leaf against the Ottawa Senators.

2011: First Round Pick to Boston

In 2011, the Toronto Maple Leafs' first-round pick was traded to the Boston Bruins.

February 6, 2012: Reached 300-Point Plateau

On February 6, 2012, Kessel reached the 300-point plateau after a three-point performance against the Edmonton Oilers.

March 31, 2012: Eclipsed Career High Goal Total

On March 31, 2012, Kessel scored his 37th goal of the season, surpassing his career-high of 36 set with Boston.

February 7, 2013: Broke Goal Drought

On February 7, 2013, Phil Kessel broke his ten-game goal drought to start the 2012-2013 season by scoring the game-winning goal against Winnipeg.

April 20, 2013: Maple Leafs Clinch Playoff Spot

On April 20, 2013, the Maple Leafs, including Kessel who recorded two assists, clinched a playoff spot in the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs after a 4–1 win against Ottawa. This was Kessel's first playoff appearance since joining the Maple Leafs in 2009.

October 1, 2013: Signed Contract Extension

On October 1, 2013, Kessel signed an eight-year, $64 million contract extension with the Maple Leafs, which was the largest contract in the team's franchise history at the time.

January 1, 2014: Named to 2014 Olympic Team

On January 1, 2014, Phil Kessel was announced as a member of the 2014 US Olympic Team to compete in Sochi, Russia.

February 1, 2014: Scored Fifth Career Hat-Trick

On February 1, 2014, Kessel scored his fifth career hat-trick against the Ottawa Senators. This game also marked Kessel's 30th goal of the season, his fifth time scoring at least 30 goals in a single NHL season.

2014: Named Top Forward

In 2014, Kessel played in the Winter Olympics and was named the top forward.

July 1, 2015: Traded to Pittsburgh Penguins

On July 1, 2015, Phil Kessel, along with Tyler Biggs, Tim Erixon, and a conditional second-round draft pick, was traded from the Maple Leafs to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Kasperi Kapanen, Scott Harrington, Nick Spaling, and conditional first- and third-round draft picks.

October 10, 2015: First Goal as a Penguin

On October 10, 2015, Kessel scored his first regular season goal as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins while playing against the Arizona Coyotes.

December 19, 2015: Played 500th Consecutive Game

On December 19, 2015, Kessel played in his 500th consecutive NHL game, making him the 23rd player in league history to achieve this milestone.

2015: Traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins

In 2015, Kessel was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

June 12, 2016: Won Stanley Cup with Penguins

On June 12, 2016, Phil Kessel won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins after they defeated the San Jose Sharks. Kessel led the Penguins in playoff scoring with 10 goals and 22 points.

2016: Stanley Cup Champion with Penguins

In 2016, Kessel won his first Stanley Cup championship with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

2016: World Cup of Hockey Snub and Twitter Response

In 2016, despite a successful Stanley Cup run, Phil Kessel was left off the American roster for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Following Team USA's elimination, Kessel tweeted a seemingly critical message, which some interpreted as a jab at the team's performance.

2017: Back-to-Back Stanley Cups

In 2017, Kessel won his second consecutive Stanley Cup championship with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

2017: Career High in Points

In the 2017-2018 NHL season, Phil Kessel scored a career-high 92 points, with 34 goals and 58 assists, placing him eighth in the NHL.

October 11, 2018: Scored Sixth Career Hat-Trick

On October 11, 2018, during the third game of the 2018–19 season, Phil Kessel scored his sixth career hat-trick, his first natural hat-trick, and his first as a Penguin, against the Vegas Golden Knights.

2018: Sister Wins Gold at Winter Olympics

In 2018, Phil Kessel's sister, Amanda Kessel, won a gold medal at the Winter Olympics representing the United States.

March 5, 2019: Longest Goal Drought

From February 1 to March 5, 2019, Phil Kessel experienced the longest goal drought of his career, going 16 games without scoring. However, he did collect 11 assists during this period.

March 15, 2019: Cole Caufield breaks NTDP goal record

On March 15, 2019, Cole Caufield surpassed Kessel's career goals for the NTDP, scoring a career-high six goals to reach 105.

March 19, 2019: Longest Consecutive Games for Penguins

On March 19, 2019, Phil Kessel played in his 320th consecutive game for the Pittsburgh Penguins, surpassing Craig Adams for the longest streak in the team's history.

June 29, 2019: Traded to Arizona Coyotes

On June 29, 2019, Phil Kessel was traded from the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Arizona Coyotes, along with Dane Birks and a fourth-round pick, in exchange for Alex Galchenyuk and Pierre-Olivier Joseph.

October 12, 2019: Played 1,000th NHL Game

On October 12, 2019, Phil Kessel played his 1,000th career NHL game against the Colorado Avalanche.

May 7, 2021: Scored 900th NHL Point

On May 7, 2021, Phil Kessel scored his 900th point in the NHL with a breakaway goal against the San Jose Sharks.

March 8, 2022: Attended Birth of First Child

On March 8, 2022, Phil Kessel played the first shift of the game against the Detroit Red Wings before taking a chartered flight to Arizona to be present for the birth of his first child, extending his iron man streak to 956 consecutive games.

April 2, 2022: Became Player with Longest Active Streak

On April 2, 2022, Phil Kessel became the player with the longest active iron man streak in the NHL after Keith Yandle was scratched from the Philadelphia Flyers lineup, ending his streak at 989 games.

August 24, 2022: Signed with Vegas Golden Knights

On August 24, 2022, Phil Kessel signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Vegas Golden Knights. He switched to jersey number 8 as his usual number was taken.

October 24, 2022: Tied Iron Man Streak

On October 24, 2022, Phil Kessel played his 989th consecutive NHL game, tying Keith Yandle's iron man streak. He also appeared to have scored his 400th career goal, but it was called back.

November 17, 2022: Recorded 1,000 Consecutive Games Played

On November 17, 2022, Phil Kessel became the first player in NHL history to record 1,000 consecutive games played, as the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Arizona Coyotes 4-1.