Huge playing opportunity emerges for Phil Kessel!

For weeks now, fans have heard about a brand new, 3-on-3 pro hockey league is coming to North America this fall. Settled in Saskatchewan, the new endeavour is named Major League Hockey and it seeks to display the NHL’s 3-on-3 overtime format. The game will end after just 24 minutes of play with one intermission separating two halves. Dangle explained how the new league will be made up of 16 teams with 14 players (12 skaters, 2 goalies) on each roster.

According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, more details of its plan are likely to be announced the Stanley Cup Final:

“I do expect some kind of announcement during the Stanley Cup Final about this, a revelation as to exactly what this is, what the goals are and what they are trying to do,” Friedman said. “I think the picture is going to become a bit more clear some time during the Cup Final.”

Some details had already been discussed, including how each team would carry 14 players and have a $30-million salary cap, with an $100,000 win bonus for each game. With those numbers on the table, it was certain that some players would reach out to the league to ask about details.

“I think a bunch of players have reached out and are curious about it … If there’s a chance to play hockey for legitimate money, people are going to be interested,” Friedman said.

Friedman went on to wonder if this new league would be appealing to a guy like Phil Kessel, who doesn’t want to retire from professional hockey, but failed to crack the Vancouver Canucks’ roster before the deadline in March.

Friedman believes Kessel would automatically become the face of this new 3-on-3 league, and could see other players nearing the end of their careers joining him.

“It’s true that the league would make a great marketing coup.”

Selected fifth overall by the Boston Bruins in 2006, Kessel has played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Arizona Coyotes and Golden Knights, recording 413 goals and 579 assists over 1,286 games. He was hoping to add more NHL games to his resume and possibly a fourth championship before he hangs up the skates.

I’m not saying that this is it for Kessel when it comes to the NHL, but if this brand new 3-on-3 league is the real deal, Phil the Thrill could become a top player in that new endeavour.