Few things in life are certain in life. Death, Taxes, and Phil Kessel playing hockey games. Phil the thrill is about to become the first player in the history of the NHL to play his 1000th consecutive game. The streak began way back in 2009, as the last game he missed was Halloween of that year as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He has suited up for every single game since and continues to defy the analytics of load management that have sprouted up over the years. The preparation and luck that goes into not getting an injury in over a decade of playing in the world’s top hockey league is unheard of and will likely never happen again.
Phil Kessel will play in his 1,000th consecutive NHL game tonight against the Coyotes! pic.twitter.com/PObhsd9Y0J
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) November 18, 2022
There has however been a head scratching change we’ve seen over the years. As the minds of hockey change more and more to analytics and predictions over traditional ways of thinking it’s a give and take. We do see improvements in the way players can perform but the opportunities to see the players perform decrease over time. This spills over into other sports as well. In basketball there was a rash of teams fined over the last few seasons for resting players too often. Fans pay good money to come and see their favorite players on any given night only to be met with a game time decision that they need “a maintenance day”. To be fair, athletes are humans too, not some robots to be put out there for our viewing experience. There has to be a better way forward to allow the star players to do what they do best while also giving fans a heads up when they need time off. In the meantime, congratulations to the man defying it all and continuing to do what he loves. All with a smile on his face and a hot dog as his pregame meal. We must protect Phil at all costs. The last true Ironman.