The hardest shot speed in an NHL game through four seasons of NHL EDGE stats data was reached Thursday when Utah Hockey Club defenseman Michael Kesselring hit 103.77 miles per hour in a 5-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche.
The 24-year-old's attempt eclipsed the previous hardest shot recorded by NHL EDGE data from Colin Miller of the Winnipeg Jets last season at 102.59 mph against the Dallas Stars on Jan. 20. Kesselring's shot was the first attempt of this season to reach 100 mph.
Utah forward Clayton Keller received a pass while entering the offensive zone before making a drop pass to Kesselring, whose record-breaking shot hit the post at 14:16 of the first period. It was Kesselring's fourth shot attempt this season of at least 90 mph, ranking tied for eighth in that category. Per EDGE stats, Kesselring also ranks among the League leaders in top skating speed (22.29 mph; 85th percentile).
Kesselring has four points (two goals, two assists), a plus-6 and 11 shots on goal in eight games and scored the overtime goal in Utah's 2-1 win against the Boston Bruins on Oct. 19. Selected by the Edmonton Oilers with the 164th pick (sixth round) in the 2018 NHL Draft, Kesselring played two seasons at Northeastern University before playing a combined 141 games in the American Hockey League. He entered the NHL in 2022-23 with the Arizona Coyotes and played a combined 74 games for them over his first two seasons (2022-23 and 2023-24), totaling 24 points (five goals, 19 assists).
With defensemen Sean Durzi (shoulder surgery; out 4-6 months) and John Marino (back surgery; out 3-4 months) injured, Kesselring is providing important depth for Utah, which is in its first season and tied with the Seattle Kraken for the second Western Conference Wild Card spot with nine points (4-3-1).
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