After failing to live up to the astronomical expectations set for him when he came to Toronto, it seems Phil Kessel will never forget the way he left the city. While celebrating his third Stanley Cup win with his Vegas Golden Knights teammates last night, Kessel took a jab at members of the media in Toronto who said he would never do it.
I'm a Three-Time Champ
Kessel did not play in either of the five games of the Stanley Cup final against the Florida Panthers. He did play every game of the regular season, though as well as another four in the playoffs. There are several players with their name on the Cup who did much less. While being asked how it feels, Kessel made sure to remind reporters there were some who believed he didn't have it in him.
"Takes me back to my Toronto days. You guys said I couldn't win, and now I'm a three-time champ. Remember that." - Phil Kessel
Kessel's first two Cups came as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins after he was traded away from the Toronto Maple Leafs after six seasons in the city. It was not a pleasant breakup. The expectations for Kessel were that he would drag the team out of some very dark times. That just wasn't in the cards.
The Future
Kessel, now 35, will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1st, after signing a one-year, $1.5 million deal with Vegas last summer. While it's likely he will continue to play somewhere, Kessel has nothing left to prove, and could retire right now with a potential Hall of Fame induction waiting in the wings.
| POLL | ||
14 JUIN | 354 ANSWERS Toronto Media Gets Trolled Hard by Phil Kessel after he Lifts his Third Stanley Cup Is Kessel a Hall-of-Famer? | ||
| Without a Doubt | 134 | 37.9 % |
| No, don't think so | 162 | 45.8 % |
| I'm not sure | 58 | 16.4 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
Latest 10 stories
