ARIZONA COYOTES

Coyotes’ Phil Kessel moves to 2nd on NHL’s consecutive games played list

Mar 27, 2022, 6:15 PM
Arizona Coyotes right wing Phil Kessel (81) celebrates after scoring a goal during the third period...

Arizona Coyotes right wing Phil Kessel (81) celebrates after scoring a goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks in Anaheim, Calif., Friday, Dec. 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

(AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Arizona Coyotes right wing Phil Kessel has not missed a single game since Nov. 3, 2009.

That’s 4,530 days.

Kessel took the ice on Sunday against the Winnipeg Jets for his 965th consecutive game, which is now the second-longest ironman streak in NHL history.

The 34-year-old surpassed Doug Jarvis, who played from 1975-88. Keith Yandle of the Philadelphia Flyers holds the all-time mark at 988 games. His streak is active like Kessel’s.

“He’s still 20 years old … he brings enthusiasm every day,” head coach Andre Tourigny said in a press conference. “When you’re in it, you don’t look at those numbers that much. I know tonight he’s moving up to second all-time. It’s great for him. But at the same time there’s not much we can do about it other than winning the game and we can celebrate it.”

Kessel is one of three Coyotes who has played in every game this season. The other two are Clayton Keller and Shayne Gostisbehere.

The Coyotes looked into trading Kessel ahead of last Monday’s trade deadline, but they could not get a deal done largely due to his cap hit, general manager Bill Armstrong told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo.

Arizona is building toward the future and received interest for the veteran forward from other teams. Armstrong said the consolation of keeping him is still a beneficial option, and Kessel will continue to chase Yandle while with the Coyotes for at least the remainder of the season.

“That’s a huge thing when you’re doing deals in the NHL at the trade deadline, trying to get the money to match and teams just couldn’t do it,” Armstrong said. “For us, it’s okay. We get Phil and he’s done a great job for us and he’s played extremely hard.”

Kessel will be a free agent this summer.

Arizona Coyotes

Roope Hintz #24 of the Dallas Stars skates with the puck while being defended by Victor Soderstrom ...
Associated Press

Stars outshine Coyotes as Keller extends point streak

Clayton Keller assisted on Valimaki’s goal to extend his points streak to 14 games, the longest since the franchise relocated in 1996.
1 day ago
Clayton Keller #9 of the Arizona Coyotes follows play during a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings a...
Arizona Sports

Clayton Keller tracker: The chase for the Coyotes’ single-season points record

Clayton Keller is firing on all cylinders as his Arizona Coyotes hit the final stretch of the 2022-23 season.
1 day ago
Germany's Philipp Bidoul (22) tries to catch United States' Logan Cooley, right, during second-peri...
Tom Kuebel

Coyotes prospect Logan Cooley named finalist for Hobey Baker Award

Arizona Coyotes prospect Logan Cooley was named as a finalist for the most prestigious award in college hockey, the Hobey Baker Award.
1 day ago
(Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images)...
Arizona Sports

How to watch the Suns, D-backs and Coyotes on Friday

It's going to be a busy night of athletics to end March with three of the Valley's four major sports teams in action on Friday.
1 day ago
A rendering of the Arizona Coyotes' proposed Tempe arena revealed June 3 after a 5-2 Tempe City Cou...
Kevin Zimmerman

Phoenix Sky Harbor’s issue with Coyotes’ Tempe arena plans gets political

It appeared four months back that Tempe and Phoenix were in agreement to clear a path toward a vote on the Arizona Coyotes' arena.
2 days ago
A rendering of the Arizona Coyotes' proposed Tempe arena revealed June 2 after a 5-2 Tempe City Cou...
Arizona Sports

City of Phoenix suing Tempe for development that includes Coyotes arena

The City of Phoenix announced on Tuesday that its aviation department is filing legal action against the city of Tempe.
4 days ago
Coyotes’ Phil Kessel moves to 2nd on NHL’s consecutive games played list