Blake Kessel

2022-09-18T13:37:15Z

173.70.90.118: Fixed level of Ironbound Elite team

{{short description|American ice hockey player}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2015}}
{{Infobox ice hockey biography
| alt =
| name = Blake Kessel
| image = Blake Kessel.jpg
| image_size = 230px
| caption = Kessel with the [[Toronto Marlies]]
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1989|4|13}}
| birth_place = [[Verona, Wisconsin]], U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 2
| weight_lb = 210
| position = [[Defenceman|Defense]]
| shoots = Right
| league =
| team =
| played_for = [[Adirondack Phantoms]] [[Rockford IceHogs]] [[Rochester Americans]] [[Toronto Marlies]] [[Tampereen Ilves|Ilves]] [[Augsburger Panther]] [[Milwaukee Admirals]] [[HC Kosice]]
| ntl_team = 
| draft = 166th overall
| draft_year = 2007
| draft_team = [[New York Islanders]]
| career_start = 2011
| career_end = 2020
| career_start_coach = 2021
| career_end_coach =
}}

'''Blake Kessel''' (born April 13, 1989) is an American retired professional [[ice hockey]] [[defenceman|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 (ECHL)|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]].<ref name="autogenerated2">{{cite web|url=http://www.unhwildcats.com/sports/mice/2009-10/bios/Blake%20Kessel |publisher=[[University of New Hampshire]] |title=Blake Kessel player profile |date=2013-04-05 |accessdate=2013-04-05 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029192209/http://www.unhwildcats.com/sports/mice/2009-10/bios/Blake%20Kessel |archivedate=October 29, 2013 |df=mdy }}</ref>

==Early life==
Kessel was born to Phil and Kathy Kessel in [[Madison, Wisconsin]]. He attended the University of New Hampshire and majored in sports studies. Blake comes from a long line of professional athletes. His brother, [[Phil Kessel]], plays for the [[Arizona Coyotes]] of the [[National Hockey League]] (NHL), his sister [[Amanda Kessel]] plays for the [[United States women's national ice hockey team]], and his father played football for the [[Washington Redskins]] of the National Football League and the [[Calgary Stampeders]] of the Canadian Football League. As well, his cousin, [[David Moss (ice hockey)|David Moss]], previously played in the NHL for the [[Arizona Coyotes]] and the [[Calgary Flames]].<ref name=autogenerated2 />

==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.<ref>[http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/blake_kessel Player's Profile: Blake Kessel]</ref>

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.<ref name=autogenerated2 /> Continuing the season to the playoffs, Kessel played in 11 games, adding 10 assists and 1 goal, for a total of 11 points.<ref>[http://islanders.nhl.com/team/app?page=PlayerDetail&playerId=8474140&service=page&tab=bio New York Islanders Website: Blake Kessel] {{dead link|date=December 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

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 (1998–2015)|Bakersfield Condors]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bakersfieldcondors.com/news/kessel-and-lukacevic-bring-experience-to-condorstown/|title=Kessel and Lukacevic bring experience to Condorstown|publisher=Bakersfield Condors|date=October 22, 2013|accessdate=October 24, 2013}}</ref>

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 (ECHL)|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 DEL season|2015–16]] season.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Panther holen US-Defender Blake Kessel - News - Augsburger Panther|url = http://www.aev-panther.de/panther/news_news,-Panther-holen-US-Defender-Blake-Kessel-_naid,1758.html| website = www.aev-panther.de|access-date = 2016-02-20}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.echl.com/gladiators-agree-to-terms-with-buzzeo-kessel | title = Gladiators agree to terms with Buzzeo, Kessel | publisher = [[ECHL]] | date = 2016-09-27 | accessdate = 2016-09-27 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160929152723/http://www.echl.com/gladiators-agree-to-terms-with-buzzeo-kessel | archive-date = September 29, 2016 | url-status = dead | df = mdy-all }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://kwings.com/News/Article/226/K-Wings-trade-for-leagues-top-scoring-defenseman-former-Notre-Dame-forward|title=K-Wings trade for league's top-scoring defenseman, former Notre Dame forward|newspaper=Kalamazoo Wings|access-date=2016-11-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161129152451/http://kwings.com/News/Article/226/K-Wings-trade-for-leagues-top-scoring-defenseman-former-Notre-Dame-forward|archive-date=November 29, 2016|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> On December 3, 2016 Kessel was signed to a professional tryout contract by the [[Milwaukee Admirals]] of the [[American Hockey League|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 [[Tipsport liga (hockey)|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.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ruwe |first1=Sarah |title=Trio of D-Men Added to Camp Roster |url=https://www.jacksonvilleicemen.com/news/trio-of-d-men-added-to-camp-roster/ |website=jacksonvilleicemen.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002064608/https://www.jacksonvilleicemen.com/news/trio-of-d-men-added-to-camp-roster/ |archive-date=October 2, 2018 |url-status=dead |accessdate=October 14, 2018 |date=September 29, 2018}}</ref> On February 17, 2019 Kessel was traded from Jacksonville to the [[Maine Mariners (ECHL)|Maine Mariners]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://marinersofmaine.com/news/mariners-acquire-kessel-from-jacksonville/|title=MARINERS ACQUIRE KESSEL FROM JACKSONVILLE|last=mainemariners|date=2019-02-17|website=Maine Mariners|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-23}}</ref>

== International play ==
{{MedalTableTop| name = }}
{{MedalSport|[[Ice hockey]]}}
{{MedalCountry | {{ihj|USA}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[World Junior A Challenge]]}}
{{MedalBronze | [[2007 World Junior A Challenge|2007 Trail]]|}}
{{MedalBottom}}
Kessel landed a spot on the US roster for the 2009 U20 World Championships.<ref>{{Cite web|title = 2009 U-S- National Junior Team Roster Announced|url = http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Hockey/Features/2008/December/04/2009-U-S-National-Junior-Team-Roster-Announced| website = Team USA|access-date = 2016-02-20}}</ref> In November 2015, he played for Team USA at the [[Deutschland Cup|Deutschland-Cup]] in Augsburg.<ref>{{Cite web|title = 2015 Deutschland Cup Roster Announced|url = http://www.usahockey.com/news_article/show/567747?referrer_id=752796| website = USA Hockey National|access-date = 2016-02-20|date = October 23, 2015}}</ref>

==Career statistics==

===Regular season and playoffs===
{| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em;"
|- style="background:#e0e0e0;"
! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" |  
! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff" |  
! colspan="5" | [[regular season|Regular season]]
! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff" |  
! colspan="5" | [[Playoffs]]
|- style="background:#e0e0e0;"
! [[Season (sports)|Season]]
! Team
! League
! GP
! [[Goal (ice hockey)|G]]
! [[Assist (ice hockey)|A]]
! [[Point (ice hockey)|Pts]]
! [[Penalty (ice hockey)|PIM]]
! GP
! G
! A
! Pts
! PIM
|- ALIGN="center"
| [[2006–07 USHL season|2006–07]]
| [[Waterloo Black Hawks]]
| [[United States Hockey League|USHL]]
| 59
| 11
| 27
| 38
| 38
| 9
| 1
| 5
| 6
| 8
|- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[2007–08 USHL season|2007–08]]
| Waterloo Black Hawks
| USHL
| 59
| 19
| 38
| 57
| 26
| 11
| 1
| 10
| 11
| 12
|- ALIGN="center"
| [[2008–09 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season|2008–09]]
| [[New Hampshire Wildcats men's ice hockey|New Hampshire Wildcats]]
| [[Hockey East|HE]]
| 37
| 6
| 7
| 13
| 24
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[2009–10 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season|2009–10]]
| New Hampshire Wildcats
| HE
| 38
| 10
| 28
| 38
| 28
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- ALIGN="center"
| [[2010–11 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season|2010–11]]
| New Hampshire Wildcats
| HE
| 39
| 5
| 22
| 27
| 32
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[2011–12 AHL season|2011–12]]
| [[Adirondack Phantoms]]
| [[American Hockey League|AHL]]
| 56
| 1
| 17
| 18
| 10
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- ALIGN="center"
| [[2012–13 ECHL season|2012–13]]
| [[Trenton Titans]]
| [[ECHL]]
| 54
| 8
| 33
| 41
| 34
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[2012–13 AHL season|2012–13]]
| Adirondack Phantoms
| AHL
| 7
| 2
| 2
| 4
| 2
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- ALIGN="center"
| [[2013–14 ECHL season|2013–14]]
| [[Bakersfield Condors (1998–2015)|Bakersfield Condors]]
| ECHL
| 4
| 1
| 2
| 3
| 0
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2013–14
| [[Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL)|Orlando Solar Bears]]
| ECHL
| 43
| 7
| 26
| 33
| 28
| 6
| 2
| 0
| 2
| 9
|- ALIGN="center"
| [[2013–14 AHL season|2013–14]]
| [[Rockford IceHogs]]
| AHL
| 3
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 0
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2013–14
| [[Rochester Americans]]
| AHL
| 8
| 0
| 2
| 2
| 4
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- ALIGN="center"
| [[2014–15 ECHL season|2014–15]]
| Orlando Solar Bears
| ECHL
| 37
| 4
| 13
| 17
| 44
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[2014–15 AHL season|2014–15]]
| [[Toronto Marlies]]
| AHL
| 3
| 0
| 1
| 1
| 0
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- ALIGN="center"
| [[2014–15 Liiga season|2014–15]]
| [[Ilves Tampere|Ilves]]
| [[Liiga]]
| 10
| 3
| 2
| 5
| 0
| 2
| 0
| 0
| 0
| 2
|- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[2015–16 Liiga season|2015–16]]
| Ilves
| Liiga
| 41
| 3
| 7
| 10
| 12
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- ALIGN="center"
| [[2015–16 DEL season|2015–16]]
| [[Augsburger Panther]]
| [[Deutsche Eishockey Liga|DEL]]
| 6
| 0
| 3
| 3
| 0
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[2016–17 ECHL season|2016–17]]
| [[Atlanta Gladiators]]
| ECHL
| 22
| 7
| 16
| 23
| 8
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- ALIGN="center"
| 2016–17
| [[Kalamazoo Wings]]
| ECHL
| 26
| 3
| 14
| 17
| 24
| 7
| 3
| 2
| 5
| 0
|- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[2016–17 AHL season|2016–17]]
| [[Milwaukee Admirals]]
| AHL
| 8
| 0
| 2
| 2
| 2
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|-
|- ALIGN="center"
| 2017–18
| [[HC Košice]]
| [[Tipsport liga (hockey)|Slovak]]
| 54
| 7
| 18
| 25
| 6
| 5
| 0
| 1
| 1
| 0
|- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[2018–19 ECHL season|2018–19]]
| [[Jacksonville Icemen]]
| ECHL
| 7
| 1
| 2
| 3
| 2
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- ALIGN="center"
| 2018–19
| [[Maine Mariners (ECHL)|Maine Mariners]]
| ECHL
| 14
| 1
| 4
| 5
| 4
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| [[2019–20 ECHL season|2019–20]]
| Orlando Solar Bears
| ECHL
| 22
| 3
| 4
| 7
| 12
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" | AHL totals
! 85
! 3
! 24
! 27
! 18
! —
! —
! —
! —
! —
|}

===International===
{| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:40em"
|- ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! Year
! Team
! Event
! Result
! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |  
! GP
! G
! A
! Pts
! PIM
|- ALIGN="center"
| [[2009 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships|2009]]
| [[United States men's national junior ice hockey team|United States]]
| [[World Junior Ice Hockey Championships|WJC]]
| 5th
| 6
| 0
| 1
| 1
| 2
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="4" | Junior totals
! 6
! 0
! 1
! 1
! 2
|}

==Awards and honors==
{| class="wikitable"
! Award
! Year
!
|-
| [[List of USHL award winners|USHL Defenseman of the Year]]
| 2007–08
|<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web|url=http://www.unhwildcats.com/sports/mice/2009-10/bios/Blake%20Kessel |publisher=[[University of New Hampshire]] |title=Blake Kessel player biography |date=2012-02-03 |accessdate=2012-02-03 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312103538/http://www.unhwildcats.com/sports/mice/2009-10/bios/Blake%20Kessel |archivedate=March 12, 2012 |df=mdy }}</ref>
|-
| All-[[Hockey East]] [[List of All-Hockey East Teams#First Team|First Team]]
| [[2009–10 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season|2009–10]]
| <ref name=autogenerated1 />
|-
| [[American Hockey Coaches Association|AHCA]] [[List of Division I AHCA All-American Teams|East Second-Team All-American]]
| [[2009–10 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season|2009–10]]
|
|-
| All-[[Hockey East]] [[List of All-Hockey East Teams#First Team|First Team]]
| [[2010–11 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season|2010–11]]
| <ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.hockeyeastonline.com/men/pres1011/201103/mar17as.php | title = Hockey East First-Team All-Stars | publisher = [[Hockey East]] | date = 2011-03-04 | accessdate = 2011-03-04 | archive-date = March 21, 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110321194552/http://www.hockeyeastonline.com/men/pres1011/201103/mar17as.php | url-status = dead }}</ref>
|-
| [[American Hockey Coaches Association|AHCA]] [[List of Division I AHCA All-American Teams|East First-Team All-American]]
| [[2010–11 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season|2010–11]]
|
|-
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{icehockeystats}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kessel, Blake}}
[[Category:1989 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Adirondack Phantoms players]]
[[Category:American men's ice hockey defensemen]]
[[Category:Atlanta Gladiators players]]
[[Category:Augsburger Panther players]]
[[Category:Bakersfield Condors (1998–2015) players]]
[[Category:Ice hockey players from Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Ilves players]]
[[Category:Jacksonville Icemen players]]
[[Category:Kalamazoo Wings (ECHL) players]]
[[Category:Maine Mariners (ECHL) players]]
[[Category:Milwaukee Admirals players]]
[[Category:New Hampshire Wildcats men's ice hockey players]]
[[Category:New York Islanders draft picks]]
[[Category:Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL) players]]
[[Category:Rochester Americans players]]
[[Category:Rockford IceHogs (AHL) players]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Madison, Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Toronto Marlies players]]
[[Category:Trenton Titans players]]
[[Category:Waterloo Black Hawks players]]
[[Category:People from Verona, Wisconsin]]
[[Category:AHCA Division I men's ice hockey All-Americans]]

Wikipedia - User contributions [en]

Blake Kessel