Forward Phil Kessel did include the culinary theme in his Vegas Golden Knights championship celebrations.
But contrary to what his teammate Jack Eichel mentioned, hot dogs may not have been the meal of choice.
Admittedly, it’s hard to determine if Eichel was telling a netizen the truth when he replied that Kessel consumed his hot dogs with the Stanley Cup, as was the case during his time with the Pittsburgh Penguins, crowned in 2016 and 2017. However, the site of the National Hockey League (NHL) wanted to clearly inform admirers of the American who played four games in the 2023 playoffs.
Thus, the guardian ensuring the good care of the trophy, Philip Pritchard, broadcast an evocative photo. It is possible to see the hockey player – cigar in the mouth – and a few associates of the Knights well seated on a sofa with the silver salad bowl installed in front of them on a table. Nearby, there are a few containers of sauce and fried potato croquettes.
Some are already wondering what food Kessel will whip up if he ever wins another title by the end of his career.
A real motivator
In another vein, the forward player was very visible and above all audible inside the locker room of his family before the last match of the final, on June 13.
Asked by the podcast “Spittin Chiclets”, Quebecer Jonathan Marchessault explained how the main concerned motivated the troops on the eve of the duel against the Panthers.
“If you dare to lose this game and I have to take this damn flight to Florida and then come back here, I will be very angry, underlined the recipient of the Conn-Smythe trophy, recalling the somewhat raw words of his accomplice. It was so much fun, he was the guy who relaxed the atmosphere around us.
“Thanks to his way of speaking and saying things, he is a character, also qualified Marchessault. Now everyone on the team speaks like him. We all use their expressions and we talk in our own way. He tells us to stop uttering his lines.”
Kessel’s method worked wonders against the Panthers, as the Knights went 9-3 to seal the series.