Incredible scene: Phil Kessel plays 30 seconds, shakes hands with his teammates and leaves the game
Even if an athlete would do anything not to miss a single game, there are situations that are stronger than sport. This Tuesday night, that was the case for Phil Kessel, as the Coyotes visited the Red Wings in Detroit. Kessel received a lot of respect, both from his teammates and from the Arizona Coyotes organization.
First you have to know that Kessel is in a very long streak of games played. In fact, he hasn't missed a game since March 11, 2009, which put his streak at 955 going into Tuesday night's game. It is the 3rd longest active game streak in league history behind Keith Yandle and Doug Jarvis.
You should also know that Kessel's spouse was about to give birth to their first child. In order for him to attend this unique event, the Coyotes organization has pulled out all the stops.
The Coyotes first allowed Kessel to get a presence on the ice, extending his streak of consecutive games played to 956. The veteran forward, after receiving handshakes from his teammates, left the game to join his wife. The organization had booked him a flight so he wouldn't miss the birth of his child!
A scenario worthy of a Hollywood movie, wow!
