Fans chant ‘Let’s go Kessel’ during Team USA game at World Cup (vid)
Fans in attendance at Team USA’s final game in what has been a disastrous appearance in the World Cup of Hockey added insult to injury by chanting “Let’s Go Kessel” during play.
That moment when the ACC starts chanting “LET’S GO KESSEL” in the middle of a #TeamUSA Game #WCH2016 #SavageChirps pic.twitter.com/MHwHIJhhtq
— Bar South N Celly™ (@BarSouthNCelly) September 23, 2016
The chant occurred during Team USA’s 4-3 loss to the Czech Republic in Air Canada Centre. The much maligned squad ended the tournament winless, going 0-3 while being outscored 11-5.
The taunting chant of course is in reference to a sarcastic tweet issued by Phil Kessel, who was left off the Team USA roster and couldn’t help but take a shot at the squad’s expense following a loss to Team Canada earlier this week. The devastating outcome that all but eliminated Americans from the tournament, rendering Thursday’s game meaningless.
Just sitting around the house tonight w my dog. Felt like I should be doing something important, but couldn't put my finger on it.
— Phil Kessel (@PKessel81) September 21, 2016
The fallout from Kessel’s tweet included Team USA head coach John Tortorella calling Kessel’s tweet “self-serving.” Several players, including David Backes, Derek Stepan and Zach Parise, also fired back at Kessel, with some questioning what possibly could have motivated him to issue the passive aggressive tweet.
Kessel later insisted the tweet wasn’t meant as an outright slam of the guys on the team, writing in a text to ESPN, “Of course it wasn’t directed at the players. I know how tough it is to play the game. It wasn’t directed at anyone.”
Whatever the intent of Kessel’s tweet, it served as a savage commentary on Team USA’s embarrasing performance in the World Cup of Hockey. And the fans inside Air Canada Centre Thursday night capitalized on Kessel’s snarky take by taunting the American players by simply invoking his name.
