Blake Kessel Explained

Blake Kessel
Birth Date:13 April 1989
Birth Place:Verona, Wisconsin, U.S.
Height Ft:6
Height In:2
Weight Lb:210
Position:Defense
Shoots:Right
Played For:Adirondack Phantoms
Rockford IceHogs
Rochester Americans
Toronto Marlies
Ilves
Augsburger Panther
Milwaukee Admirals
HC Kosice
Draft:166th overall
Draft Year:2007
Draft Team:New York Islanders
Career Start:2011
Career End:2020

Blake Kessel (born April 13, 1989) is an American retired professional ice hockey defenseman who most recently was coaching Ironbound Elite 16U Premier in the USA Hockey Women's 16U AA. He most recently played for the Orlando Solar Bears in the ECHL. He was selected by the New York Islanders in the 6th round (166th overall) of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.[1]

Playing career

Kessel has been described as an offensive minded defenseman, who likes to join the offensive rush, which has been attributed to his speed and skill.[2]

In Kessel's first season with the Waterloo Black Hawks, he played in 59 games, scoring 11 goals and accumulating 27 assists, for a total of 38 points. In his last season with the Black Hawks, Kessel led all defensemen in scoring with 57 points, scoring 19 goals and notching 38 assists in 59 games. Continuing the season to the playoffs, Kessel played in 11 games, adding 10 assists and 1 goal, for a total of 11 points.[3]

Kessel signed an entry-level contract with the Philadelphia Flyers on September 14, 2011. After spending two seasons playing for the team's minor league affiliates, the Adirondack Phantoms of the AHL and the Trenton Titans of the ECHL, the Flyers did not give Kessel a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent.

On October 22, 2013, Kessel signed with the Bakersfield Condors.[4]

On September 28, 2014, the Toronto Marlies announced that they had signed Kessel to an AHL contract. He was assigned to the Orlando Solar Bears, the Leafs' ECHL affiliate, on October 12, 2014. Kessel then landed a job in Finland and finished the 2014–15 season with Tampereen Ilves. He remained on the Ilves team until February 2016 and then took up an offer from German top-tier club Augsburger Panther, signing a contract until the end of the 2015–16 season.[5]

In the following off-season, Kessel returned to North America to continue in the ECHL, signing a one-year deal with the Atlanta Gladiators on September 27, 2016.[6] Tallying seven goals and 16 assists in 22 games for the Atlanta team, he was the league's top-scoring defenseman, when he was traded to the Kalamazoo Wings on November 28, 2016.[7] On December 3, 2016 Kessel was signed to a professional tryout contract by the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL. He appeared in 8 games with the Admirals before he was returned to the Wings.

In 2017, Kessel signed with HC Košice of the Tipsort liga in Slovakia. After playing with the HC Košice for a season, Kessel joined the ECHL's Jacksonville Icemen for their 2018–19 training camp.[8] On February 17, 2019 Kessel was traded from Jacksonville to the Maine Mariners.[9]

International play

Kessel landed a spot on the US roster for the 2009 U20 World Championships.[10] In November 2015, he played for Team USA at the Deutschland-Cup in Augsburg.[11]

Personal life

Kessel was born to Phil (Sr.) and Kathy Kessel in Madison, Wisconsin.

He attended the University of New Hampshire, where he majored in sports studies and played with the New Hampshire Wildcats men's ice hockey program.

Kessel comes from a family of professional athletes. His father played football for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League and the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. His brother, Phil Kessel, is the NHL "Ironman", having played over 1,000 consecutive regular season games, and is a three-time Stanley Cup champion. His sister, Amanda Kessel, plays for the United States women's national ice hockey team and is a three-time Olympic medalist. His cousin, David Moss, previously played in the NHL for the Arizona Coyotes and the Calgary Flames.

Kessel is married to Courtney Birchard-Kessel, a former star of the New Hampshire Wildcats and Brampton Thunder. She currently is the head coach of the PWHL Boston of the Professional Women's Hockey League.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

  Regular season Playoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
2006–07Waterloo Black HawksUSHL591127383891568
2007–08Waterloo Black HawksUSHL5919385726111101112
2008–09New Hampshire WildcatsHE37671324
2009–10New Hampshire WildcatsHE3810283828
2010–11New Hampshire WildcatsHE395222732
2011–12Adirondack PhantomsAHL561171810
2012–13Trenton TitansECHL548334134
2012–13Adirondack PhantomsAHL72242
2013–14Bakersfield CondorsECHL41230
2013–14Orlando Solar BearsECHL43726332862029
2013–14Rockford IceHogsAHL30000
2013–14Rochester AmericansAHL80224
2014–15Orlando Solar BearsECHL374131744
2014–15Toronto MarliesAHL30110
2014–15IlvesLiiga10325020002
2015–16IlvesLiiga41371012
2015–16Augsburger PantherDEL60330
2016–17Atlanta GladiatorsECHL22716238
2016–17Kalamazoo WingsECHL26314172473250
2016–17Milwaukee AdmiralsAHL80222
2017–18HC KošiceSlovak5471825650110
2018–19Jacksonville IcemenECHL71232
2018–19Maine MarinersECHL141454
2019–20Orlando Solar BearsECHL2234712
AHL totals853242718

International

Awards and honors

AwardYear
2007–08[12]
All-Hockey East First Team2009–10
AHCA East Second-Team All-American2009–10
All-Hockey East First Team2010–11[13]
AHCA East First-Team All-American2010–11

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Blake Kessel player profile . . 2013-04-05 . 2013-04-05 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131029192209/http://www.unhwildcats.com/sports/mice/2009-10/bios/Blake%20Kessel . October 29, 2013 . mdy .
  2. http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/blake_kessel Player's Profile: Blake Kessel
  3. http://islanders.nhl.com/team/app?page=PlayerDetail&playerId=8474140&service=page&tab=bio New York Islanders Website: Blake Kessel
  4. Web site: Kessel and Lukacevic bring experience to Condorstown. Bakersfield Condors. October 22, 2013. October 24, 2013.
  5. Web site: Panther holen US-Defender Blake Kessel - News - Augsburger Panther. www.aev-panther.de. 2016-02-20.
  6. Web site: Gladiators agree to terms with Buzzeo, Kessel . . 2016-09-27 . 2016-09-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160929152723/http://www.echl.com/gladiators-agree-to-terms-with-buzzeo-kessel . September 29, 2016 . dead . mdy-all .
  7. News: K-Wings trade for league's top-scoring defenseman, former Notre Dame forward. Kalamazoo Wings. 2016-11-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20161129152451/http://kwings.com/News/Article/226/K-Wings-trade-for-leagues-top-scoring-defenseman-former-Notre-Dame-forward. November 29, 2016. dead. mdy-all.
  8. Web site: Ruwe . Sarah . Trio of D-Men Added to Camp Roster . jacksonvilleicemen.com . https://web.archive.org/web/20181002064608/https://www.jacksonvilleicemen.com/news/trio-of-d-men-added-to-camp-roster/ . October 2, 2018 . dead . October 14, 2018 . September 29, 2018.
  9. Web site: MARINERS ACQUIRE KESSEL FROM JACKSONVILLE. mainemariners. 2019-02-17. Maine Mariners. en-US. 2019-02-23.
  10. Web site: 2009 U-S- National Junior Team Roster Announced. https://web.archive.org/web/20160302113400/http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Hockey/Features/2008/December/04/2009-U-S-National-Junior-Team-Roster-Announced. dead. March 2, 2016. Team USA. 2016-02-20.
  11. Web site: 2015 Deutschland Cup Roster Announced. USA Hockey National. 2016-02-20. October 23, 2015.
  12. Web site: Blake Kessel player biography . . 2012-02-03 . 2012-02-03 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120312103538/http://www.unhwildcats.com/sports/mice/2009-10/bios/Blake%20Kessel . March 12, 2012 . mdy .
  13. Web site: Hockey East First-Team All-Stars . . 2011-03-04 . 2011-03-04 . March 21, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110321194552/http://www.hockeyeastonline.com/men/pres1011/201103/mar17as.php . dead .