Is Phil Kessel an anomaly?

[BlueBaron]

They used to say that about Jagr. I remember one reporter saying he did not look like an athlete with his shirt off.

Kessel gets a bum rap about his fitness though, he's fine.

 

[maacoshark]

Lol yeah right. Did you miss the 2005-2011 period of hockey?

2005-2011? Of course I didnt miss it. The NHL has been a sissy league for years now. Very few players know how to hit and no players know how to take a hit. Players now turn their back towards the opposing player putting himself in a dangerous position.

 

[Past Considerations]

He couldn't have played at that time. The game was way more physical. The NHL is now the No Hitting League. Hockey in the 70s was nasty.

Perhaps there are some other aspects to physicality than just just big hits and other nasty stuff that is fortunately no longer allowed.

 

[OVrocks]

He is a world class donut lifter, the jelly variety can be pretty hefty sometimes.

 

[authentic]

2005-2011? Of course I didnt miss it. The NHL has been a sissy league for years now. Very few players know how to hit and no players know how to take a hit. Players now turn their back towards the opposing player putting himself in a dangerous position.

That's bologny. The NHL before they cracked down on headshots was extremely physical. Hockey players in your day were just so much tougher, we get it.

 

[Hatter of the Beach]

Meds he takes due to his battle with Cancer (and probably still is on to prevent remergence) are known to cause water retention.

 

[Smeagoal]

Don't question The Thrill.

 

[karnige]

You guys realize that conditioning/athleticism does not equal looking shredded/jacked.

obvious he doesnt hit that gym much or probbly have the best diet but his conditioning is great because he plays hockey 24/7. reminds me of kevin ownes in the WWE. doesnt workout and eats whatever he wants but because he wrestles so much his conditioning is excellent

 

[hatterson]

obvious he doesnt hit that gym much or probbly have the best diet but his conditioning is great because he plays hockey 24/7. reminds me of kevin ownes in the WWE. doesnt workout and eats whatever he wants but because he wrestles so much his conditioning is excellent

Oh cool, you know kessel’s schedule. Any chance you can get me an autograph?

 

[LickTheEnvelope]

Kessel is amazing but he's no Kyle Wellwood.

 

[cptjeff]

While he's not super ripped his body is quite average and wouldn't exactly call him fat. Kyle Wellwood was guy that was out of shape,was not physical at all, just very lazy but skilled player and still played almost 500 games in the nhl

If you don’t think he is fit just because he has a round face I don’t know what people can do to explain it to you.

Uh, you could absolutely call that fat. He's not morbidly obese, but that is absolutely overweight. The fact that the average American is fat doesn't mean that being average isn't fat.

It's not just his face, folks. Phil Kessel is fat. He's got enough muscle that he seems to be able to cart the extra weight around the ice and remain an effective player, and all credit to him for being able to do that, but he's indeed an exception to the norm.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

A player whose conditioning and body is constantly questioned, yet is one of the most explosive players in the league.

He's played almost 900 games while avoiding contact, barely forechecking, loosing every puck battle and pulling up on entries if a clear lane isn't available. He's never in a position to get hit, not even to make a play. You would think he lacks drive or wouldn't be an elite playoff performer due to all that, yet he is.

It stands out especially because he's on the Penguins. You have Crosby arguably the hardest worker in the league, constantly training and taking abuse all over the ice to make the play... then you have Phil staring at puck battles, jumping away from another humans touch and yet has performed at or near Crosby's level in the much more physical and tighter playoffs.

In 2018, how does such a specimen become one of the top athletes in a sport? How is it possible to do it while dismissing basic hockey fundamentals?

He is skilled and very opportunistic. I don't mean that as a criticism, it's just that if you give him one opportunity, he burns you all the time. He doesn't turn around games by himself but he can deliver game winning goals. A super valuable asset when you already have Crosby and Malkin on your side.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

He is skilled and very opportunistic. I don't mean that as a criticism, it's just that if you give him one opportunity, he burns you all the time. He doesn't turn around games by himself but he can deliver game winning goals. A super valuable asset when you already have Crosby and Malkin on your side.

Weird... because I've watched him turn around dozens upon dozens of games all by himself as a Leaf and a Pen.

Kessel is a gifted playmaker that just so happens to be one of the best snipers in the league.

 

[John Matthews]

I think it has less to do with Phil, and more to do with “arm chair” fitness “experts” being horrible with their assessments. The guy has a naturally round face and folks think that means they can judge his stamina, which is absurd

This! If Phil was out of shape he wouldn't have the wheels he does.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Uh, you could absolutely call that fat. He's not morbidly obese, but that is absolutely overweight. The fact that the average American is fat doesn't mean that being average isn't fat.

It's not just his face, folks. Phil Kessel is fat. He's got enough muscle that he seems to be able to cart the extra weight around the ice and remain an effective player, and all credit to him for being able to do that, but he's indeed an exception to the norm.

Let me guess-Massage Luxe employee?

 

[Swervin81]

Oh lord, this again. Just because they have dad bods and don't have chiseled jawlines and look like some ripped to shreds bodybuilder doesn't mean they're out of shape, guys. Genetics can come into play. Besides, Phil's actually pretty deceptively strong. He can surprise you with how strong he is, even if you don't think of him as a that type of player. His elusiveness also helps. He's not shifty and agile as hell but he is pretty good with changing speeds and making it really hard for guys to get good hits on him.

Hell, I remember people saying the same stuff about Marleau years ago.

That said, I remember during the Ottawa series, seeing this pic.

Like, if I knew nothing about hockey, and you told me the guy on the right was an NHL star and the guy on the left was his dad, I never would question it.

 

[Rusty Razor]

I don't know exactly what treatment he received for his testicular cancer, but fluid retention issues are a somewhat common side effect from chemo drugs. That could be why he looks slightly puffy.

 

[zeke]

 

[Jauffre]

Definitely not out of shape, but heavier than he was in the Boston/early Leafs days. He's obviously strong, and he's a good skater. Add to that his great offensive awareness. He's been a (fairly) consistent 30-goal scorer his whole career.

But hey he had that cookie that one time while the great Dion Phaneuf was giving an interview, so it's apparent how shamefully out of shape he is!

Blake Kessel is fitter and obviously better.

 

[Hank Plank]

People need to watch him more closely he's very strong along the boards and hard to knock off the puck.

 

[Wats]

Kessel's just a super freak (he's super freak-eh!!!). In seriousness, dude naturally has wicked speed. Beyond that, anyone ever give pause to consider maybe the breaks he takes are actually beneficial? It doesn't take much to over train. Your body needs to recover. I'm not in the NHL and am older but still work out pretty hard 4 - 5 times per week (which is probably too much). These past few weeks I have done very little aside from rowing and the few bigger weight based workouts I have done, I felt tremendous. My body needed that. If memory serves, the year Tampa won the Cup, the had the fewest practices of any team. Also the least injuries. Their belief was that would be a benefit. Apart from God given talent, maybe Phil is doing what works for his body?

Even that, I'm sure he's done a lot in his life to get his shot and skating to this level.

 

[MessierII]

He has speed, good hands and a wicked shot. That plus the smarts to make it work and he’s a great player. Ryan Smyth scored 30 goals a bunch of times wthout being exceptionally fast, having a great shot or hands just by knowing where to go and working hard.

 

[Acallabeth]

You don't need to look like a bodybuilder to be an overwhelmingly gifted player and possess the abilities to make you an NHL star. Kessel's anything but an anomaly.

By the way, I remembered a preseason "best shape of their lives" thread with some disussion on this man:



Unsurprisingly, training for photo shots instead of hockey didn't get him out of the AHL.

 

[Plural]

They used to say that about Jagr. I remember one reporter saying he did not look like an athlete with his shirt off.

Kessel gets a bum rap about his fitness though, he's fine.

Really? Jags has always been known for his athletic provess. Dude was absolutely ripped during the 90's. You probably mix him with someone else.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

They used to say that about Jagr. I remember one reporter saying he did not look like an athlete with his shirt off.

Kessel gets a bum rap about his fitness though, he's fine.

Lol wut??

Was the reporter blind?