What is Phil Kessel's Ironman streak? All you need to know about one of NHL's greatest players

Phil Kessel is currently the NHL's Ironman.

The Ironman streak is the most consecutive regular-season games played, playoffs aren't counted. The Vegas Golden Knights forward has the streak as he has played in 1,064 consecutive games.

Kessel's last missed a regular-season game on Oct. 31, 2009, when he was a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Kessel broke Keith Yandle's record of 989 on Oct. 25, 2022, and then passed 1,000 games on Nov. 17.

The American forward missed his first game since 2009 during Game 5 of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, but given that the Ironman streak doesn't count playoff games, his streak continues.

In March 2022, Kessel's streak nearly ended when he was playing for the Arizona Coyotes. His wife was in labor, but Kessel dressed and played one shift before leaving the game on a private jet to make the birth of his child.

Since then, however, Phil Kessel has never sat out a game due to injury, flu or a suspension. Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy said it was amazing to see Kessel continue on his Ironman streak:

"Ya, there's some luck involved. And sometimes you're fortunate with how you don't put yourself in harm's way when you know some guys get hurt being in the wrong place at the wrong time. They turn and bump into somebody. Phil's been pretty good at avoiding those. At the same time, what he's on the cusp of doing, full credit to him."

Phil Kessel's career

Phil Kessel was drafted fifth overall in 2006 by the Boston Bruins and spent three seasons with Boston before being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2009.

Kessel spent six seasons in Toronto before being traded to Pittsburgh where he spent four seasons and won the Stanley Cup in back-to-back years with the Penguins. The forward was then traded to the Arizona Coyotes and spent three years there before signing with the Vegas Golden Knights this past summer.

With the Golden Knights, Kessel had just 36 points in 82 games but did help Vegas earn a playoff spot. He was a healthy scratch for most of the playoffs but still got to hoist the Cup for the third time in his career on Tuesday night.

In his career, Kessel has played in 1,286 regular-season games and has 413 goals, 579 assists for 992 points. In the playoffs, Kessel has 100 playoff games and has 83 points.

Phil Kessel is currently not under contract for next season and at 35 years old, his future in the NHL is uncertain.