Better late than never: Kessel thanks Toronto fans in goodbye note
Phil Kessel was traded from the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Pittsburgh Penguins on July 1, and although it took him nearly two months, the star forward finally bid farewell to his former hockey home.
Kessel posted his goodbye note on his rarely used Twitter account. The tweet was his first since May 10.
The winger's production over six seasons with the Maple Leafs was impressive, as he tallied 394 points in 446 games. But Kessel did not always have an easy go of it off the ice in Toronto. Kessel frequently clashed with the media, and despite his high point totals, he was often regarded as a lazy player whom some deemed "uncoachable."
When Kessel was traded in July, the move was seen as a necessary to jumpstart Toronto's rebuild.
"The judgment on the Leafs was clear: Kessel had to go," Toronto Star columnist Bruce Arthur wrote in July. "His skill is unquestioned; his will, less so. He’s not in his prime; he’s leaving it. There were worries about the example he gave to young players. Shanahan pointedly gave this team the chance to show him what they were, and Kessel responded by playing the whole season at his end of the rink, and vanishing. What did Randy Carlyle and Peter Horachek both say when they left here? Some people just don’t want to change."
Now, Kessel gets a fresh start in a new city where he does not have to be the star -- Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have that taken care of -- and Toronto frees up some space on its roster for players with a better work ethic.
This deal could be a victory for everyone involved.
(h/t Toronto Star)
