SI:AM | The NHL Has a New Ironman

Phil Kessel broke Keith Yandle’s record in the Golden Knights’ game against the Sharks.

Good morning, I’m Dan Gartland. Congratulations to Phil Kessel on playing almost 1,000 games in a row.

In today’s SI:AM:

🌭 Phil Kessel’s record

💸 LIV Golf’s summer of excess

🏈 Potential CFP spoilers

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Two milestones for Phil Kessel

With his appearance last night against the Sharks, Golden Knights forward Phil Kessel became the NHL’s new ironman. He has now played in a record 990 straight games, dating back to Nov. 3, 2009.

Kessel passed the mark previously set by defenseman Keith Yandle, who saw his streak end at 989 games in April when the Flyers made him a healthy scratch. On Jan. 25, Yandle broke the previous record of 964 straight games that had been held for nearly 35 years by Doug Jarvis. (Yandle retired after last season.)

The Sharks recognized Kessel’s achievement during a stoppage in play and the fans in San Jose gave him a standing ovation.

“I was happy to get it,” the always understated Kessel told reporters after the game. “It was a special night. I’m glad to get the win.”

Kessel might not have expressed it, but it’s clear that the ironman record is something he really cares about. In March, when he was with the Coyotes, he kept the streak alive by playing just a single shift against the Red Wings in Detroit before hopping on a charter flight back to Arizona to witness the birth of his daughter.

The ironman streak wasn’t the only milestone moment for Kessel last night. After an offsides challenge denied him his 400th career goal against the Maple Leafs on Monday night, Kessel scored on a breakaway last night to become the 106th player in NHL history to score 400 goals.

Kessel’s everyman appearance and personality have made him one of the most well-liked players in the NHL. My favorite story about him is how, after a Toronto newspaper columnist falsely suggested that Kessel visited the same hot dog stand every afternoon, he posed for a photo with the Stanley Cup full of hot dogs when the Penguins won in 2017. How could you not love that guy? Congrats on the record, Phil.

The best of Sports Illustrated

In today’s Daily Cover, Bob Harig looks back at the summer that LIV Golf burst on the scene:

​​The first [party], at RD Studios in London, was the most extravagant. It was where the first “draft” of LIV Golf teams took place, with theater seating, musical entertainment, drinks flowing and more food than double the number of people in attendance could consume.

That party alone was said to cost $3 million, and there have been others along the way, such as at Gotham Hall in New York City in conjunction with the Bedminster, N.J., tournament and Mechanic’s Hall outside of Boston and a car museum outside of Chicago. Part of these bashes involve sorting out the pro-am groups, which is pretty standard at golf events. It’s the opulence that is different.

Ben Pickman is looking forward to these 10 games on the women’s college basketball schedule this season. … Pat Forde warns that these seven teams could play spoiler for teams eyeing College Football Playoff berths. … Andrew Brandt explains why getting rid of Dan Snyder won’t be easy. … Here are the matchups, spreads and odds for SI Sportsbook’s Perfect 10 contest for Week 8.

Around the sports world

Klay Thompson earned his first career ejection after a confrontation with Devin Booker. … The Yankees are reportedly expected to bring back Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman. … You can add the Giants to the list of teams rumored to be interested in signing Aaron Judge. … Speaking at a recent tech panel, Serena Williams said she is “not retired.” … Here is the AP preseason women’s basketball All-American team. … Manhattan is without a men’s basketball coach after letting Steve Masiello go just two weeks before the season. … Aaron Donald and Jaylen Brown have cut ties with Ye’s Donda Sports agency. 

The top five...

… things I saw yesterday:

5. Luka Dončić’s assist after falling on the floor.

4. Ivica Zubac’s premature full-court heave.

3. Stephen Curry blaming Kevin Harlan for missing a free throw.

2. This save by Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin.

1. Kai Havertz’s goal from outside the box (off an assist from Christian Pulisic).

SIQ

On this day in 2005, the White Sox finished off a sweep of the Astros to win their first World Series since 1917. Who was named MVP of the series?

• Paul Konerko
• Mark Buehrle
• Aaron Rowand
• Jermaine Dye

Yesterday’s SIQ: After Peyton Manning and Johnny Unitas, who is third on the list of most starts by a Colts quarterback?

• Andrew Luck
• Jim Harbaugh
• Jeff George
• Bert Jones

Answer: Bert Jones. I thought for sure it would have been Luck, but he missed so much time due to injury during his seven years in the league. Luck made 86 starts, compared to 92 for Jones.

Jones, like Luck, was hindered by injuries during his career and his inconsistent health ultimately derailed a very promising career. In 1976, he won the MVP while leading the Colts to an 11–3 record and followed it up with another strong season in ’77. But he injured his throwing shoulder in ’78 and missed 13 games. When he hurt the same shoulder again in ’79, Paul Zimmerman wrote in SI that Jones and Oilers running back Earl Campbell were the only two “indispensable players” in the NFL.

“They can change the whole complexion of a team, lift the people around them—the hopes, the record, everything,” Zimmerman wrote. “They are franchises.”

Finding a player like that—as the Colts are acutely aware of—is one of the hardest things in the NFL. The Colts don’t need Sam Ehlinger to be that good, though. They just need him to be better than Matt Ryan.

From the Vault: Oct. 26, 2009

Chris Covatta/NBAE

As the 2009–10 NBA season got underway, some of the best teams in the league looked like they’d gotten even stronger. Here’s how Ian Thomsen summed it up in SI’s NBA preview issue:

The Cavaliers adopted Shaquille O’Neal to serve as a big brother to LeBron James, even as the champion Lakers were providing Kobe Bryant with a pit bull named Ron Artest. The Magic became more explosive by trading for Vince Carter, and the Celtics grew more experienced (and versatile, and grouchy) by adding Rasheed Wallace. And don’t forget the Spurs—they made off with Richard Jefferson like barons robbing from the poor.

The top-heavy collection of the league’s talent, Thomsen theorized, was due to some owners’ unwillingness to pay the luxury tax during the global financial crisis. (The Bucks, for example, saved $10 million by trading Jefferson to San Antonio.) Whatever the cause, the stockpiling of top players basically divided the league into haves and have-nots. Twelve teams won at least 50 games and nine failed to win even 30. The Nets were a dismal 12–70 (becoming just the fifth team in NBA history to lose 70 games), and the Timberwolves weren’t much better at 15–67. Meanwhile, every team that made the Western Conference playoffs won at least 50 games.

The biggest move made that offseason was O’Neal going to Cleveland. Thomsen wrote that “the Cavaliers realize they must keep improving inexorably toward a championship if they hope to re-sign LeBron when he becomes a free agent next summer” and thus made the Shaq trade a priority after getting bounced by the Magic in the conference finals. The Cavs won 61 games, earned the No. 1 seed in the East but lost to the Celtics in the second round of the playoffs. If you want to talk about the concentration of talent, it doesn’t get more concentrated than LeBron and Chris Bosh deciding to join Dwyane Wade in Miami the following summer.

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