| Round | Overall |
| 2 | 15 |
 |
 |
Left-hand shot
Pre-Draft Statistics
| Year | Team | League | GP | G | A | TP | PIM |
| 1966-67 | Markham | Jr. B | 35 | 29 | 27 | 56 | -- |
| 1967-68 | Toronto-London | OHA | 30 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 2 |
| 1968-69 | Oshawa | OHA | 53 | 26 | 66 | 92 | 8 |
Pre-Draft Notes
Oshawa 1968-69 team MVP. ... Led OHA with 66 assists for Oshawa in 1968-69.
Career Vitals
| First contract: | 1969 |
| Debut: | March 21, 1970 (Pittsburgh vs. Chicago) |
| Final NHL game: | April 5, 1974 (California vs. Atlanta) |
| Retired: | 1981 |
| Stanley Cup: | Never won |
| Numbers worn: | 14, 23, 15 (Pittsburgh); 12 (California) |
Career NHL Statistics
Teams:
Pittsburgh, California
Years: 1970-1974. Playoffs:
None
| Regular Season | |||||
| GP | G | A | TP | PIM | |
| 5 years | 135 | 4 | 24 | 28 | 6 |
| Stanley Cup Playoffs | |||||
| GP | G | A | TP | PIM | |
| 0 years | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Complete statistics available at NHL.com | |||||
Career Highlights
Played left wing for part of NHL career. ... Scored goal on his first shift of first NHL game when he beat Gerry Desjardins at 2:19 of first period in Pittsburgh's March 21, 1970, home game vs. Chicago. ... Played eight games for 1974-75 Salt Lake team that went on to win CHL regular-season and playoff titles, but was not with team in postseason. ... Played for New Haven in 1975 AHL Calder Cup Finals.
Transaction History
Dec. 31, 1967 -- Loaned by Toronto (OHA) to London for balance of 1967-68 season. Sept. 11, 1968 -- Traded by Toronto (OHA) with rights to Tom Foxcroft, Bob Kelly, Chuck Gyles, and Bob Smith to Oshawa for Dale Tallon. June 13, 1973 -- Claimed by Salt Lake (California CHL affiliate) from Pittsburgh in Reverse Draft. November 1974 -- Loaned by California to New Haven (AHL) for balance of the 1974-75 season.
Significant Injuries
Missed start of 1967-68 season recovering from knee surgery to remove damaged cartilage. ... Missed 10 games of 1969-70 season with two broken ribs, an injury suffered in AHL debut with Baltimore. ... Missed start of Pittsburgh's 1970 training camp with double fracture of his right ankle, an injury suffered while water-skiing in Oshawa, Ontario, on July 30, 1970. ... Missed final games of 1971-72 season with dislocated left shoulder, an injury that required surgery. ... Missed part of 1974-75 season with broken leg.
Life Outside the NHL
Full Name: Richard
John Kessell
Nickname: "Kess"
Other Post-Draft Teams: Baltimore (AHL); Amarillo (CHL); Hershey (AHL); Salt Lake
(CHL); New Haven (AHL); Whitby, Georgetown (OHA Sr.)
Miscellaneous:
| Selected by New England Whalers in 1972 WHA Draft, the first WHA Draft, February 1972. | Selected by New England Whalers in 1973 WHA draft of established professional players. | Was an avid water skiier during off-seasons of his playing days, resulting in an injury in 1970. | Shifted from his natural position of center to left wing with Pittsburgh in 1972-73 season. |
| SNAPSHOT '69 | |
| Total Selected: | 84 |
| Forwards: | 58 |
| Defense: | 18 |
| Goaltenders: | 8 |
| Major Junior: | 68 |
| College Players: | 8 |
| Canadian: | 78 |
| Euro-Canadian: | 1 |
| American: | 4 |
| European: | 1 |
| Reached NHL: | 49 |
| Won Stanley Cup: | 10 |
| Hall of Fame: | 1 |
| All-Star Game: | 7 |
| Year-end All-Star: | 1 |
| Olympians: | 2 |
| Picks Traded: | 11 |
| 1969 PICKS BY TEAM | ||
| Boston | Chicago | Detroit |
| Los Angeles | Minnesota | Montreal |
| New York | Oakland | Philadelphia |
| Pittsburgh | St. Louis | Toronto |
OTHERS DRAFTED IN 1969