| Birth Date: | July 27, 1949 |
| Birth Place: | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Height Ft: | 5 |
| Height In: | 10 |
| Weight Lb: | 175 |
| Position: | Centre |
| Shoots: | Left |
| Played For: | Pittsburgh Penguins California Golden Seals |
| Draft: | 15th overall |
| Draft Year: | 1969 |
| Draft Team: | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| Career Start: | 1969 |
| Career End: | 1977 |
Richard John "Rick" Kessell (born July 27, 1949) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played in the NHL for the Pittsburgh Penguins and California Golden Seals.
Drafted 15th overall by the Penguins in the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft, Kessell played 135 regular season games, scoring 4 goals and 24 assists for 28 career points. One of his only 4 goals would come on March 21, 1970 during his first NHL game. Despite his brief NHL career Kessell excelled in juniors, the minors and senior hockey. As a youth, he played in the 1961 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Scarboro Lions.[1]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |||||
| 1965–66 | Toronto Marlboros | OHA | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1966–67 | Markham Waxers | MTJHL | 35 | 29 | 27 | 56 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1967–68 | Markham Waxers | MTJHL | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1967–68 | Toronto Marlboros | OHA | 14 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1967–68 | London Nationals | WOHL | 16 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1968–69 | Oshawa Generals | OHA | 53 | 26 | 66 | 92 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1969–70 | Baltimore Clippers | AHL | 52 | 15 | 21 | 36 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1969–70 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 8 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1970–71 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1970–71 | Amarillo Wranglers | CHL | 62 | 31 | 38 | 69 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1971–72 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 54 | 24 | 19 | 43 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1971–72 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1972–73 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 67 | 1 | 13 | 14 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1973–74 | California Golden Seals | NHL | 51 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974–75 | New Haven Nighthawks | AHL | 60 | 21 | 46 | 67 | 16 | 16 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 2 | ||
| 1974–75 | Salt Lake Golden Eagles | CHL | 8 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1975–76 | Salt Lake Golden Eagles | CHL | 54 | 16 | 39 | 55 | 19 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 1976–77 | Whitby Warriors | OHA Sr | 14 | 9 | 17 | 26 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| AHL Totals | 166 | 60 | 86 | 146 | 34 | 21 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 2 | ||||
| NHL Totals | 134 | 4 | 24 | 28 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||