Former Penguins Champion Trying Out for Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are close to adding yet another former Pittsburgh Penguins champion to their team.
PITTSBURGH – After waiting well past the midway point of the 2023-24 season, former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Phil Kessel finally gets his chance to return to the NHL. The Vancouver Canucks have been the most recent team rumored to be sniffing around the three-time Stanley Cup champion, and they recently announced his arrival.
No contract has been signed, but Canucks general manager Patrick Allvin stated that Kessel will begin workouts with the organization.
“Phil has made his way to Vancouver and will be working out in Abbotsford this week.”
Kessel is coming off a Cup-winning season with the Vegas Golden Knights, where he played all 82 games of the regular season, scoring 14 goals. Following the season, Kessel became a free agent but never got a call to join a team.
At 36 years old, Kessel is visibly slowing down, and his production is declining, but he is within striking distance of a significant career milestone. Kessel currently has 992 career points, just eight shy of 1,000. He’s already set the record for the longest Iron Man streak by appearing in 1,064 straight games, but he’s willing to let the streak end to keep playing in the NHL.
If Kessel joins the Canucks, he will only add to what Evgeni Malkin has already called “Penguins West.” Already on the Canucks’ roster are former Penguins’ Teddy Blueger, Sam Lafferty, Ian Cole, Mark Friedman, and Casey DeSmith. Behind the bench is former Penguins assistant coach Rick Tocchet. And in the front office are former Penguins management staff Allvin and Jim Rutherford.
Tocchet is familiar with Kessel outside of Pittsburgh, as well. Tocchet’s first head coaching job in the NHL was with the Arizona Coyotes, where Kessel played after being traded away from the Penguins.
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