You canlabel Phil Kessel many things: an athlete, a two-time Stanley Cup champion, and the brother to an Olympic gold medalist, Amanda Kessel.
What can you can’t call him, however, is a physical hockey player that likes to dish out the hits. Nope, Phil Kessel is too busy beefing up his point totals to worry about that type of behavior.
Had Kessel focused playing on more of an aggressive style, there’s a chance his 10th longest ironman streak of 674 games would come to an end. While some have questioned Kessel’s ability to defend, one thing that is indisputable is his durability.
In a recent Under Armour ad, the former Toronto Maple Leafs explains one of the few hits he’s thrown over his career, and it’s pretty funny to hear Phil break it down, because, well, he never hits.
According to HockeyReference.com, Kessel has been credited with 10 hits in 64 games this season at even strength. He has 143 over parts of 12 seasons, and hasn’t missed a game since the 2009-10 campaign.
We know Phil doesn't really care for winning the NHL's Art Ross Trophy, and now we know that Phil doesn't really care that he isn't physical, and nor should he care. After all, he's one of the best players in the league, and he should be focused on producing points, not hits.
(h/t UnderArmour)
