Matthew Kessel Bio
Matthew James Kessel is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). Born on June 23, 2000, in Phoenix, Arizona, he skates as a right-shot defenseman at 6 feet 2 inches and roughly 205 pounds. He joined the Blues organization in 2020 through the NHL Entry Draft and signed his first professional contract in 2022 after completing his college career at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Early Life and Background
Matthew James Kessel was born on June 23, 2000, in Phoenix, Arizona, to parents Tom and Leila Kessel. Although his birth certificate says Arizona, Kessel grew up in Detroit, Michigan, where his family was based. The Kessel household was a busy and athletic one, and Matthew was the youngest of four brothers.
His eldest brother went on to play college football at the University of Cincinnati. His second-oldest brother played college hockey at Western Michigan University before moving into the ECHL, while his third-oldest brother skated for the College of the Holy Cross from 2017 to 2021. Surrounded by older siblings who all played competitive sports at the college level, Matthew was pushed into athletics from an early age, and hockey quickly became his main focus.
Path to Hockey
Kessel first entered the junior hockey pipeline in the United States Hockey League (USHL). During the 2017–18 season, he began the year with the Fargo Force before a midseason trade sent him to the Chicago Steel. The following season, he joined the Sioux Falls Stampede, where he continued his development as a mobile, right-shot defenseman.
Originally, Kessel had committed to play NCAA Division I college hockey at Miami of Ohio. After the program fired its head coach, Kessel reopened his recruitment and ended up at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Because of a pre-existing relationship with one of the UMass assistant coaches, he was offered a roster spot without ever visiting campus or going through a normal recruiting process. He arrived in Amherst in 2019 as a freshman defenseman for the UMass Minutemen.
Matthew Kessel Career
Early Career (2017–2019)
In his first USHL season, Kessel split time between the Fargo Force and the Chicago Steel, getting his first taste of high-level junior competition. The experience helped him adjust to the speed and physicality of a league stocked with future college and NHL players. The following year, he moved to the Sioux Falls Stampede, where he settled in as a steady two-way defenseman.
That run in the USHL is what put him on NHL scouting radars. By the end of his junior days, Kessel had established himself as a dependable, right-shot defenseman with good size and mobility, a profile that ultimately earned him a fifth-round selection in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.
UMass Minutemen Era (2019–2022)
Kessel made his collegiate debut on October 11, 2019, and scored his first collegiate goal on October 15 against Northeastern. Head coach Greg Carvel labeled him the “most impressive freshman” on the roster through the season’s first seven games, and by mid-November, with the Minutemen sitting at 7–3, Kessel had been promoted to the team’s top defensive pairing alongside Jake McLaughlin.
He spent the rest of the campaign as one of UMass’s top defensemen, often paired with Marc Del Gaizo. By season’s end, his seven goals led all freshmen defensemen in the nation. Kessel continued to develop over his next two seasons with the Minutemen, refining his game in all three zones while serving in a top-four role. After finishing his junior year, he decided to leave school early and turn pro.
St. Louis Blues Era (2022–Present)
St. Louis selected Kessel in the fifth round, 150th overall, at the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. On March 28, 2022, after his junior season at UMass, he signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Blues. He was immediately assigned to Springfield, the club’s American Hockey League affiliate, to finish the 2021–22 campaign.
Late in the 2022–23 season, on April 2, 2023, Kessel was recalled and made his NHL debut against the Boston Bruins. He played one more game two days later before being sent back down to Springfield. He returned to the AHL to start 2023–24 and was recalled by the Blues on December 30, 2023. On February 13, 2024, he recorded his first NHL point, an assist on a goal by Alexey Toropchenko. A few weeks later, on March 13, the Blues signed him to a two-year, one-way contract extension. On April 7, 2024, in his 37th NHL game, he scored his first NHL goal against goaltender Lukáš Dostál of the Anaheim Ducks.
Driving Style and Strengths
Kessel plays a balanced, defense-first style built on positioning, a strong stick, and reliability in his own end. At 6-foot-2 and around 205 pounds, he has the size to win board battles and clear the crease, while his right-handed shot makes him a useful option on the second power-play unit. Coaches have praised his willingness to play a simple, efficient game and to move the puck quickly out of the defensive zone.
Notable Events and Milestones
His biggest individual milestones to date are his NHL debut with the St. Louis Blues on April 2, 2023, against the Boston Bruins, his first NHL point on February 13, 2024, an assist on a Toropchenko goal, and his first NHL goal on April 7, 2024, against Anaheim’s Lukáš Dostál. His mid-March 2024 one-way contract extension also marked a major step, signaling that the organization viewed him as part of its long-term defensive plan.
Matthew Kessel Career Wins
Matthew Kessel’s on-ice résumé is still in its early chapters, and most of his accomplishments to this point are milestones and developmental achievements rather than championship trophies. He has been a steady contributor in junior, college, and the AHL, and is now beginning to establish himself at the NHL level with the St. Louis Blues.
Junior and Collegiate Highlights
Across his time in the USHL, Kessel suited up for the Fargo Force, the Chicago Steel, and the Sioux Falls Stampede, gaining valuable experience against high-level competition. At UMass, he led all freshmen defensemen in the nation with seven goals in his first college season and quickly earned a top-pairing role under head coach Greg Carvel. Those performances helped position him as a legitimate NHL prospect.
Professional Highlights
In the American Hockey League with the Springfield Thunderbirds, Kessel continued to round out his two-way game. His NHL breakthrough came during the 2023–24 season, highlighted by his first point, his first goal, and a new two-year contract with the Blues, all within the span of a few months. The numbers below reflect verified appearances and totals from his time in major competition.
Matthew Kessel Family
Family Background and Athletic Lineage
Kessel comes from a deeply athletic family. He is the youngest of four brothers and the son of Tom and Leila Kessel. His three older brothers all played college sports, with the eldest suiting up for football at the University of Cincinnati and the other two playing college hockey at Western Michigan University and the College of the Holy Cross, respectively. That competitive environment helped shape Matthew’s work ethic and his early commitment to the sport.
Personal Life
Matthew Kessel grew up in Detroit, Michigan, before moving east to Massachusetts for college and eventually settling into a professional routine with the St. Louis Blues organization. Public information about his personal life is limited, and he has kept his off-ice activities largely private while focusing on his development as a young NHL defenseman.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into 2025, Kessel is settled into the St. Louis Blues organization on a two-year, one-way contract signed in March 2024. The deal underscored the club’s confidence in him as a long-term piece of the defense corps, and he is expected to continue pushing for a full-time NHL role. With a year of NHL experience now under his belt, he should have a clearer opportunity to lock down a regular spot in the lineup.
Kessel’s main tasks are simple: tighten up his defensive zone play, keep his game simple and physical, and contribute offensively when chances arise. His right-handed shot and steady puck-moving ability give the coaching staff flexibility, especially on the back end and the second power-play unit. Consistency will be the key word for him, and the early part of the 2025 calendar will be a chance to show that his first NHL point and first NHL goal were stepping stones rather than flashes.