Jonathan Marchessault reveals how he almost cost Phil Kessel his iron man streak

In a shocking revelation, Jonathan Marchessault, Vegas Golden Knights forward, recently shared an incident that nearly jeopardized Phil Kessel's remarkable iron man streak. Following a video meeting before the game in Ottawa, Marchessault and Kessel engaged in a lighthearted exchange that took a physical turn.

Recounting the incident, Marchessault described how their banter escalated into a mock confrontation. Taunting Kessel, Marchessault jokingly challenged him, exclaiming,

"I would whoop your ass, and that little boy wouldn't even be able to touch me."

Seizing the moment, Marchessault playfully lunged toward Kessel, stopping inches away from making contact.

However, what was intended to be a harmless prank took a startling turn. Both players simultaneously executed a fake headbutt, resulting in an unfortunate injury for Marchessault.

"I started leaking from the forehead," Marchessault revealed, adding that his wound required stitches and left a wet trail on the floor.

Meanwhile, Kessel's own streak was in jeopardy as he nearly injured himself during the incident. Marchessault shared,

"Phil almost pops his groin and he's on the floor and he's on his iron man streak. Right? So he's...at 996 at that time. So I'm like, he's about to get 1000 straight."

Remarkably, despite the close call, Phil Kessel managed to maintain his iron man streak, reaching an impressive milestone of 1000 consecutive games.

Marchessault, however, couldn't help but marvel at the minimal impact the incident had on Kessel, humorously noting that he resembled someone with a mere mosquito bite on top of his eyeball.

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What is Phil Kessel's iron man streak?

Phil Kessel's remarkable iron man streak continues as the Vegas Golden Knights forward recently reached an impressive milestone of 1,000 consecutive regular-season games. Kessel's streak began on October 31, 2009, during his tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He surpassed Keith Yandle's previous record of 989 games on October 25, 2022, and has since extended his streak.

It's worth noting that Kessel's streak almost came to an end in March 2022 while playing for the Arizona Coyotes. His wife was in labor, but Kessel dressed and played one shift before promptly leaving the game to make it in time for the birth of his child.

Since then, Kessel has remained injury-free and avoided suspensions, never missing a game due to injury, illness, or disciplinary action. Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy also acknowledged the element of luck involved in maintaining an iron man streak, emphasizing Kessel's ability to avoid risky situations.