Phil Kessel, the NHL winger known for his love of hot dogs, has won his third Stanley Cup championship with the Vegas Golden Knights. Kessel, who previously won two championships with the Pittsburgh Penguins, played in all 82 games of the regular season but was a healthy scratch for most of the playoffs. Despite this, Kessel says the win is just as special as his first, and he had a message for critics who said he couldn’t win. Kessel was traded from the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2015 and has since won three championships with different teams.
Phil Kessel has done it again. The three-time Stanley Cup champion has once again come out on top, this time with the Golden Knights. Kessel and his team raised the 2023 Stanley Cup on Tuesday night, solidifying his place as one of the best players in the NHL.
Kessel’s journey to the top has not been an easy one. During his six years with the Maple Leafs, he faced a lot of criticism and was often labeled as a player who couldn’t win. However, Kessel had a message for his critics after winning his third championship.
“Takes me back to my Toronto days,” Kessel said to The Hockey News’ Mike Stephens. “You guys said I couldn’t win, and now I’m a three-time champ. Remember that.”
It’s a tough pill to swallow for Leafs fans, who have also faced criticism from former players like Nazem Kadri. After winning the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche last year, Kadri told critics, “You can kiss my a––.” Both Kadri and Kessel were traded by the Maple Leafs, only to go on and win championships with their new teams.
Kessel was traded to the Penguins in 2015 and went on to win titles in 2016 and 2017, playing an integral part in both of those runs. He was arguably snubbed of the Conn Smythe in 2016 after leading Pittsburgh in scoring that postseason.
Despite being a healthy scratch for the majority of the playoffs with the Golden Knights, Kessel is enjoying his third championship just as much as his first. And as an experienced partaker in the playoffs, he knows what it takes to win.
“Remember that,” Kessel said to his critics. And with three Stanley Cup rings to his name, it’s safe to say that Kessel has proven them wrong.
Source: Sporting News
