Baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. knows a thing or two about being a sport’s ironman.
Ripken took to Twitter on Wednesday morning to congratulate Phil Kessel after the Vegas Golden Knights forward set the NHL record by playing in his 990th consecutive game. Kessel snapped the tie he shared with defenseman Keith Yandle after he suited up for Tuesday’s game against the San Jose Sharks.
Ripken famously played in 2,632 straight games for the Baltimore Orioles from May 30, 1982 to Sept. 19, 1998.
“Congratulations to Phil. Playing so many consecutive games in the grueling and demanding sport of hockey is remarkable,” Ripken wrote on Twitter. “He clearly has a passion for and love of his sport. I’m sure that the Golden Knights and the Las Vegas fans celebrated with Phil and his teammates, way to go!”
Congratulations to Phil. Playing so many consecutive games in the grueling and demanding sport of hockey is remarkable. He clearly has a passion for and love of his sport. I’m sure that the Golden Knights and the Las Vegas fans celebrated with Phil and his teammates, way to go! https://t.co/1BOZyycQ9u
— Cal Ripken, Jr. (@CalRipkenJr) October 26, 2022
Kessel, 35, scored his 400th career goal during the Golden Knights’ 4-2 victory over the Sharks.
Kessel started his streak on Nov. 3, 2009 while playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The streak has covered time he spent with the Maple Leafs (2009-15), Pittsburgh Penguins (2015-19), Arizona Coyotes (2019-22) and Golden Knights.
Kessel opened his NHL career with the Boston Bruins (2006-09). He helped the Penguins win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017.
–Field Level Media