Phil Kessel is a right wing for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Early Life
Philip Joseph Kessel, Jr was born Oct 2, 1987 in Verona, WI; he has one brother, Blake Kessel, and one sister, Amanda Kessel. All three siblings play hockey, with Blake in the ECHL and Amanda in the NWHL.
He played youth hockey for the AAA Madison Capitols (Madison, WI) from 2001-2003, where he was an offensive standout for both the bantam and U18 teams. In 2003-2004, he moved to Ann Arbor, MI in order to play for the US National Team Development Program (USNTDP) where he set records for both Goals and Points for a U17 player. In 2004-2005, he again set records for both Goals and Points for a U18 player at the time.
Because of his October birthday, he was ineligible for the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. Following his two years at the USNTDP, he enrolled at the University of Minnesota on a sports scholarship. He played for the Golden Gophers hockey team for the 2005-2006 season, where he finished second in team scoring with 51 points in 39 games. He was named the WCHA Rookie of the Year for 2005-2006 and was also named to the 2005-2006 All-Rookie Team.
He was drafted fifth overall by the Boston Bruins in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, He subsequently signed an entry-level contract with the Bruins on 17 Aug 2006, thereby forgoing the final three years of his college eligibility. [1]
Personal Life
Kessel was diagnosed with testicular cancer in December of 2006. Following a successful surgery, he was considered cancer-free and remains so. Although very private in general, he is quite open about supporting cancer prevention initiatives.
A Son's Promise(NHLPA.com News, 1 Nov, 2018)
Playing Career
Boston Bruins
Toronto Maple Leafs
Trade To Pittsburgh
Relationship With Media
Stanley Cup Champion Phil Kessel Meme
Phil Kessel is a Stanley Cup Champion meme