Phil Kessinger, who is the president of the Philadelphia Eagles, has resigned as president of his team, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported Monday.
Kessel, who will remain with the Eagles, is the first player to leave the team since general manager Howie Roseman left the team in the summer.
Kessinger said Monday that he resigned from his role as president and CEO of the team, and he will take a leave of absence for one year to prepare for a “fresh start” in 2018.
Roseman, who has been with the team for more than four years, is also leaving the team.
He will become president and chief operating officer.
Kessler, who was named president of hockey operations in April, has also resigned from the Eagles.
He also will take leave of leave for one and a half years to prepare to move to a new role in 2018, the Inquirers said.
Rose and Kessingers roles with the club have been intertwined since they joined the team as interns in 2009.
Rose has been president of professional scouting since 2016, when the Eagles hired former Buffalo Sabres general manager John Chayka to be the team’s general manager.
The team was in the playoffs for the first time since 2005 when the Kessel trade was announced.
The Sabres were swept in the first round by the Montreal Canadiens.
The deal was announced by the league on March 11, 2016.
Rose left Buffalo in January 2018 after he was hired as the team manager.
His contract was up in the spring of 2019 and he was replaced by Chaykan.
Rose was a member of the New York Islanders team that won the Stanley Cup in 2013 and won the Presidents Cup in 2015.
He was the team captain in 2016 and led the team to the Stanley Cups in 2018 and 2019.
He is one of the longest-tenured Eagles players, having started for the team at the age of 24.
The former Philadelphia Eagle is a three-time All-Star.
He has played in 1,069 regular season games, with 1,023 goals and 994 assists.KESSINGER ON HIS DEATHDAYS: The Philadelphia Eagles released the following statement on Phil Kesson’s death:We are saddened to hear about Phil Kesseinger’s passing.
Phil was a great teammate and a beloved member of our organization.
We are deeply saddened by the loss of a member in our organization who was loved by so many and was dedicated to his community.
We extend our condolences to Phil’s family and friends.
We are working closely with Phil’s friends and family, and we ask everyone to continue to pray for his family during this difficult time.
We have shared many times that Phil was an exceptional person and an incredible sportsman.