Phil Kessel Recognized by Toronto Maple Leafs Fans for Surprising Reason

Phil Kessel is a player who stayed with the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2009 until 2015. During that time, he was a prolific goal scorer who took a lot of heat from the media.

Some felt as though he was constantly out of shape and not taking his role with the team seriously. Meanwhile, the lack of playoff performances during this time really skewed how people thought about him.

Eventually, Kessel went to the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he won two Stanley Cups. He won a third with the Las Vegas Golden Knights and hasn't played since.

These days, Kessel is still trying to get back into the NHL, although for now, it really does feel like his playing days are officially over.

Having said that, The Leafs Nation on Twitter recently asked fans to vote on the funniest Maple Leafs player of all time. This was a Wild Card, and very few knew who would win.

As it turns out, Phil Kessel came away victorious, as the fans immediately dubbed him one of the most hilarious and entertaining guys to grace the team.

Kessel was always a funny a guy when speaking to the media, and he seemed to revel in making them look silly when they wrote nonsense about him.

While Kessel was given a hard time in Toronto, he did try to make the best of it, and you have to appreciate a guy like that, who takes punches on the chin.

Going forward, we expect Kessel to officially announce his retirement from the sport. There is no way he gets back into the NHL anytime soon.

Regardless, we thank the forward for the memories and all of the entertainment he gave us over the years.