In his first season after being unceremoniously dumped by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Phil Kessel managed to win a Stanley Cup, showing he wasn’t some lowly bum after all.
Originally drafted by the Boston Bruins, Kessel was traded to Toronto and spent six seasons with the Leafs. During that span the team only had a winning record twice and made the playoffs just once. The Leafs were losers and nothing represented that more than their leading player on those teams, Kessel.
When he was traded away to the Penguins over the offseason, Kessel was absolutely buried in an article by the Toronto Sun, which said the right winger ate hot dogs daily from a vendor at Front and John Streets.
The hot dog vendor who parks daily at Front and John Sts. just lost his most reliable customer. Almost every afternoon at 2:30 p.m., often wearing a toque, Phil Kessel would wander from his neighbourhood condominium to consume his daily snack
[…]
Really, this was as much about illness and insomnia as anything else: The Leafs were sick and tired of Kessel.
Sick of his act. Tired of his lack of responsibility. Unwilling to begin any reset or rebuild with their highest-paid, most talented, least-dedicated player. He didn’t eat right, train right, play right.
Fast forward a year and Kessel goes to Pittsburgh where he helps the Pens win a Stanley Cup. He had 59 points in the regular season and 22 in 23 postseason games.
In light of his awesome postseason, many folks on the ‘net wanted him to stick it to Toronto by involving hot dogs in his Stanley Cup celebration:
Live look at Phil Kessel pic.twitter.com/RhHqkeVVUu
— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) June 13, 2016
Phil Kessel is gonna fill the Cup with hot dogs and chili
— KFC (@KFCBarstool) June 13, 2016
I hope Phil Kessel eats hot dogs out of the Stanley Cup.
— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) June 13, 2016
Phil Kessel's day with the Cup is just him on Front and John in Toronto eating hot dogs out of the Cup while holding up a middle finger.
— June Dave Lozo (@davelozo) June 13, 2016
It would honestly be quite fitting if he does. This is Kessel’s F-U moment!
Photo via
