Why does Phil Kessel keep getting left out?

[Sty1877]

I'm talking, generally, about NHL or national events.

Phil is currently 3rd in scoring—however, he wasn't even invited to the All Star game. At the time of voting, he was in or hovering around the top 10 and the best Penguins player by far. I understand that when it comes down to it, the All Star game is a joke, but you would think the NHL would want some of their best players there. Is it because he isn't a star personality with the media, or is it that he flies under the radar due to Pittsburgh's other talent? Don't forget what happened when he did make an All Star game—even his fellow players picked him last.

More concerning is that Phil, while being one of the top forwards from the United States, was not even invited to the World Cup Team. Why isn't he getting the respect or recognition that he deserves? Do we chalk this up to Torts being a poor team-builder, or do you think other coaches would have made the same move?

I'm just baffled that no one seems to notice Phil. Even a case can be made that he was deserving of a Conn Smyth, but that's more difficult to debate.

 

[Breakfast of Champs]

It was the world cup team, he actually went to Sochi and did really well...but yeah he gets no respect

 

[Kelly]

I think people notice Phil. He's just been killing it for so long that everybody is just use to it.

He definitely should've been invited to the ASG, but now he's just gonna go kill it in the Bahamas or somewhere. Knowing him he probably doesn't even care.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

He is in the shadow of Malkin, and Malkin himself is in the shadow of Crosby. Kessel is the 3rd wheel in Pittsburgh but he got 2 Cups out of that.

 

[Kale Hulls]

If he never played in Toronto he would be so much more respected.

 

[93LEAFS]

I'm talking, generally, about NHL or national events.

Phil is currently 3rd in scoring—however, he wasn't even invited to the All Star game. At the time of voting, he was in or hovering around the top 10 and the best Penguins player by far. I understand that when it comes down to it, the All Star game is a joke, but you would think the NHL would want some of their best players there. Is it because he isn't a star personality with the media, or is it that he flies under the radar due to Pittsburgh's other talent? Don't forget what happened when he did make an All Star game—even his fellow players picked him last.

More concerning is that Phil, while being one of the top forwards from the United States, was not even invited to the World Cup Team. Why isn't he getting the respect or recognition that he deserves? Do we chalk this up to Torts being a poor team-builder, or do you think other coaches would have made the same move?

I'm just baffled that no one seems to notice Phil. Even a case can be made that he was deserving of a Conn Smyth, but that's more difficult to debate.

If he never played in Toronto he would be so much more respected.

Okay, there are a couple things here.

Firstly, USA Hockey hasn't like Phil for awhile. Ron Wilson wasn't happy about having him at the 2010 Olympics. Phil has a pretty bad image league-wide among coaching staffs. Toronto magnified it, but how willingly Boston was in letting him go due to Julien not liking him didn't help. I also wouldn't blame Torts, he was the coach and has a say, but that falls on Lombardi more than him in my eyes. I'm sure if Sullivan (Tort's best friend or close to) and adamantly pushed for Phil, Torts would absolutely back him up.

The other major thing is, while being highly productive. He's at best third in line when you talk about Pens. I highly enjoyed him on the Leafs, but Sid and Gino are just exceptional talents who are between 1 and 3 as the best talents to enter the league since the 2004/05 lockout.

Also with Pitts terrible start there was no way to justify them having multiple all-stars in such a selective format and the strength of the Metro's forwards. If they were playing like Tampa was at the time of selection, they would have found a way to send Sid, Gino and Kessel.

Finally, glad to see him finally get some respect after being a whipping boy first by people who felt Leafs fans hyped him up too much and then by select Leafs fans for thinking he was the example of how badly Burke and Nonis built a team (he was, but that's not really his fault).

 

[Beville]

Cause hotdogs are his life.

 

[theicebox]

I agree with the OP, but there's plenty of room for his name on the Stanley Cup. I think that is probably his priority.

Also, a surprise Art Ross this season wouldn't hurt his cause.

 

[LeafsNation75]

While he was with the Leafs let's remember Kessel did play in 3 All Star Games in 2011, 2012 and 2015, so it's not like he has never been invited to them during his career.

 

[Hockeygod66]

Cause he's Phat.

 

[Hockeygod66]

I think people notice Phil. He's just been killing it for so long that everybody is just use to it.

He definitely should've been invited to the ASG, but now he's just gonna go kill it in the Bahamas or somewhere. Knowing him he probably doesn't even care.

I'm sure he'd match rather be anywhere else than the all-star game. It's a pointless exercise and Phil's not really into that.

 

[SmoggyTwinkles]

While he was with the Leafs let's remember Kessel did play in 3 All Star Games in 2011, 2012 and 2015, so it's not like he has never been invited to them during his career.

I will never forget him getting picked last and turning into the golden god that he is now. OV laughing and snapping a pick of it too.

I think there's a meme for that (obviously!)

That was when I really started to love Phil immensely. He was suddenly being bullied by his own league and his peers and had to go against all that and look where he is now. The guy is amazing and deserves it so much.

 

[ChurchOfMatthews]

Too much extra expenses on hot-dogs.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

He's the Rodney Dangerfield of the NHL.

 

[Tom Hanks]

Phil is our MVP so far this season.

 

[LeafsNation75]

I will never forget him getting picked last and turning into the golden god that he is now. OV laughing and snapping a pick of it too.

I think there's a meme for that (obviously!)

That was when I really started to love Phil immensely. He was suddenly being bullied by his own league and his peers and had to go against all that and look where he is now. The guy is amazing and deserves it so much.

It's too bad Kessel never made a Patrick Roy type of comment and took a picture of his two Stanley Cup rings which he could send to Ovechkin.

 

[Sky04]

He is in the shadow of Malkin, and Malkin himself is in the shadow of Crosby. Kessel is the 3rd wheel in Pittsburgh but he got 2 Cups out of that.

This, who cares if he doesn't get the spotlight or recognition, the guy looks uncomfortable getting it in TO anyways.

 

[Sky04]

I will never forget him getting picked last and turning into the golden god that he is now. OV laughing and snapping a pick of it too.

I think there's a meme for that (obviously!)

That was when I really started to love Phil immensely. He was suddenly being bullied by his own league and his peers and had to go against all that and look where he is now. The guy is amazing and deserves it so much.

"bullying" haha wow, never ceases to amaze me how sensitive people are.

Obviously it was a joke - in which Phil took it as such.

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

He has two Stanley Cups that he knows his team wouldn't have without him and honestly I think that's enough for him.

 

[The Shovel Penguin]

Probably a combination of things mentioned above. I think he just ended up with a reputation that's still just sort of stuck, unfortunately. He is a very "under the radar" kind of guy and I think also because he doesn't "look" like the quintessential pro athlete he gets mocked for it and isn't taken all that seriously, but just because someone isn't ripped doesn't mean they can't be capable athletes. (I've seen some pretty ripped guys gasping for air during a basic aerobics class.) Kypreos apparently said he knew 3 players in the league that could deadlift 500lbs: McDavid, Stamkos, and Phil.

He also gets criticized for not being a very physical player who doesn't plays hard at both ends -- but as far as the Pens were concerned his best qualities as a player were perfect as far as what they needed. As someone noted "he looks like a chipmunk but he's fast" and we love him.

 

[Fatty McLardy]

I will never forget him getting picked last and turning into the golden god that he is now. OV laughing and snapping a pick of it too.

I think there's a meme for that (obviously!)

That was when I really started to love Phil immensely. He was suddenly being bullied by his own league and his peers and had to go against all that and look where he is now. The guy is amazing and deserves it so much.

I loved it that he helped knocking out OV two years in a row on the way to win 2 stanley cups......revenge can't get much sweeter than that.

 

[Pengwins]

 

[trick9]

I thought it was mind-boggling to say the least that Kessel was left out and Letang got into the All-Star Game.

 

[John Matthews]

I'm talking, generally, about NHL or national events.

Phil is currently 3rd in scoring—however, he wasn't even invited to the All Star game. At the time of voting, he was in or hovering around the top 10 and the best Penguins player by far. I understand that when it comes down to it, the All Star game is a joke, but you would think the NHL would want some of their best players there. Is it because he isn't a star personality with the media, or is it that he flies under the radar due to Pittsburgh's other talent? Don't forget what happened when he did make an All Star game—even his fellow players picked him last.

More concerning is that Phil, while being one of the top forwards from the United States, was not even invited to the World Cup Team. Why isn't he getting the respect or recognition that he deserves? Do we chalk this up to Torts being a poor team-builder, or do you think other coaches would have made the same move?

I'm just baffled that no one seems to notice Phil. Even a case can be made that he was deserving of a Conn Smyth, but that's more difficult to debate.

one phrase, Toronto Media Perception.

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

I loved it that he helped knocking out OV two years in a row on the way to win 2 stanley cups......revenge can't get much sweeter than that.

My favourite part about the schadenfreude of "the picture" was that from that point forward (the next 6 1/4 years) Ovi went from being a 1.29 Pt/GP player to a 0.97 Pt/GP player, which was only marginally better than Phil over the same time frame (0.08 better).