Why does Phil Kessel keep getting left out?

[BNHL]

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).

Bruins didn't let him go. Kessel would not counter the Bruins offer and forced their hand. Kessel didn't like Julien's style and that was why he really wanted out.

 

[93LEAFS]

Bruins didn't let him go. Kessel would not counter the Bruins offer and forced their hand. Kessel didn't like Julien's style and that was why he really wanted out.

I'd say there was a pretty big grey area there. I don't think they fought to keep him, and Boston has sewered multiple guys on the way out in recent years (Kessel, Hamilton, Seguin, etc).

 

[Sentinel]

"I'm sure there is something I should be doing now... Can't put my finger on it."

 

[Passchendaele]

I might be in the minority here but I always felt like Ovie snapping that picture of him was just in good fun and harmless. A number of people I know were kind of ticked off about it and thought he was being a jerk but personally I didn't think so.

Context matters.

Phil strikes me as somewhat of a shy/awkward individual, so this was definitely a jerkish move by Ovechkin.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Because this league only cares about looks, and curvy players get left out even if they are really good.

 

[BNHL]

I'd say there was a pretty big grey area there. I don't think they fought to keep him, and Boston has sewered multiple guys on the way out in recent years (Kessel, Hamilton, Seguin, etc).

Hamilton wanted out,Kessel wanted out,both are enigmatic personalities who would not negotiate,and would not sign another contract in Boston. Seguin was a forced trade that probably went all the way to Jacobs,much about Seguin's behavior is not public.

 

[Wo Yorfat]

I'm placing my futures trades on hot dog commodities in the Bahamas as we speak.

I think you're over estimating the impact one person will have on the market. With a conservative projection of 18 hotdogs per day over 3 days, Phil's not really gonna push the needle.

 

[SotasicA]

Cause he's Phat.

He's the Phit Phat Phil.

 

[bobholly39]

I remember a few years ago Crosby didn't make the cut for the all star game and i thought it was the most ridiculous thing ever. He's the NHL's biggest star - you find a way to select him every year

I bring this up because Crosby is going this year. Even though at time of selection, Kessel had been putting up better numbers. I'm ok with that.

If the reason Kessel isn't selected is because there's place for only either him or Crosby from Pitt, I think it should be Crosby. And even though i'm a Crosby fan i'm not being biased here - i'd make the same argument for Ovechkin in Washington, or Subban in Nashville.

All Star game. Bring the stars, bring the entertainment.

Now as to whether or not Kessel should have been selected over other non-Pittsburgh players who made it? Probably....but there are other omissions too.

The World cup snub was idiotic. Remember PK the reining Norris trophy winner didn't play at the olympics the next year either. he's not the only one who gets snubbed

 

[hockey4sale]

The same reason why Malkin is not top 100 player, can't promote too much other players on the same team because all the credit and sunshine should always go to the One and only King of hockey Universe

 

[LeafFever]

Phil Kessl is getting tons more credit and love than he ever did when he was a Leaf.
It's nice Pens fans want to come to his defense, but when he was a Leaf he was the NHl laughingstock while being PPG with Tyler Bozak as his centre.

 

[LeafFever]

Hamilton wanted out,Kessel wanted out,both are enigmatic personalities who would not negotiate,and would not sign another contract in Boston. Seguin was a forced trade that probably went all the way to Jacobs,much about Seguin's behavior is not public.

Harry Sinden stated the Bruins could have resigned Hamilton.
The amount of bs stories the Bruins leak to the media is ridiculous.
And boston wanted Kessel out because of $. The Bruins have decades of examples of trying not to pay their top stars.(The Bourque artificial cap, Oates, ETC),

 

[3074326]

The same reason why Malkin is not top 100 player, can't promote too much other players on the same team because all the credit and sunshine should always go to the One and only King of hockey Universe

Malkin is one of the most talked-about players in the league. The top 100 thing was clearly an oversight. There isn't a conspiracy for everything.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

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

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

I can't imagine that was easy for him, even if he laughed it off. I swear I recall Duthie asking him about it the next year and Kessel said something to the effect of "just let it go"

Being made the brunt of a big joke for the world to see like that wouldn't be fun for anyone, I think we can all admit that.

Even Reaves kind of alludes to Kessel you know, being human:

“I think we both know how to take a joke,” Reaves said. “We chirp back and forth. Nobody’s sensitive about it. He gets sensitive a little bit sometimes, but then I bring him back down to Earth, and we’re back at it.”

Some other good quotes in there about him:

He’s just such a likable guy,” Sheary said. “Around the room, he’s funny when he doesn’t even try to be. He’s just one of those guys who it comes natural to. He’s one of those other guys who’s awesome to younger guys. He treats you as a human and not as a guy who’s new to the league. That’s pretty cool.”

 

[Blues88]

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?

I might be in the minority here but I always felt like Ovie snapping that picture of him was just in good fun and harmless. A number of people I know were kind of ticked off about it and thought he was being a jerk but personally I didn't think so.

Absolutely. Look at this thread for mind-bending "analysis" of that picture's impact on Thrill, the League, and society. Its as if some have never played a team sport....or understood chirping....or, you know, had a friend.

Ball busting 101. I'm sure Phil's real broken up about it...

 

[ThirdManIn]

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

I wonder who poisoned that particular well...

 

[BNHL]

Harry Sinden stated the Bruins could have resigned Hamilton.
The amount of bs stories the Bruins leak to the media is ridiculous.
And boston wanted Kessel out because of $. The Bruins have decades of examples of trying not to pay their top stars.(The Bourque artificial cap, Oates, ETC),

Harry Sinden is not part of the Bruins operations. He's an 85 year old man living in Florida. Hamilton wanted out,his only friend in Boston was Celtic Kelly Olynyk. His parents wanted him on the West Coast,and they desired he play with Freddy. Kessel would not even counter offer. It had nothing to do with the Bruins not paying him enough,he simply would not accept any offer. Don't know where you are getting the info,but we've heard it directly from Chiarelli,Sweeney,Neely on radio interviews,and many beat writers and other insiders. their claims were never denied by the players,or their agents.. Hamilton and Kessel wanted out from the situation,period.

 

[Section32]

You are just not going to find too many fans around he league that feel sorry for the Penguins or anything that might be perceived as a lack of exposure.

If you can find the time to worry about something like this, enough so to go and start a thread, it is abundantly clear you have lost perspective on what is like to be a fan of a "normal" club...those without great timing, unbelievably good luck and extremely generous League support.

I am not sure Penguin fans could even handle going 10-12 years without a couple of "home-grown" generational players and a Cup or three.

So, no tears for Phil....NEVER...