Michael Kesselring has taken an unconventional route throughout his NHL career.

You can’t argue with the results though. While the 26-year-old defenseman has gone through four NHL organizations, he’s now on the San Jose Sharks’ top pair alongside Darnell Nurse.

“He brings a lot of life to the room,” Nurse said.

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So how did the gregarious 6-foot-4 blueliner get here from South Carolina?

Born in Florence, SC, but raised in New Hampshire, Kesselring always played up a year with his youth team. His dad Casey, a former ECHL player with the South Carolina Stingrays, ran the youth program.

“I went to prep school in New Hampton [in New Hampshire],” Kesselring shared with San Jose Hockey Now in St. Louis recently. His dad coached him there.

New Hampshire, though it’s bordering Massachusetts, isn’t quite the same hockey hotbed. According to the league, just 14 New Hampshire-born players have ever played in the NHL.

“It was a little bit different,” Kesselring said. “But in the summer, I always played in the big tournaments. You see all the big names and guys your age. Worked out just fine.”

Kesselring was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the sixth round of the 2018 Draft. He played two seasons at Northeastern University, showing SJHN his husky tattoo, and turned professional in 2021. He had his first NHL training camp that same year, where he met Nurse, who had already been in the league for many years.

“We walk in the weight room, and he’s got all the records up there for all the lifting,” Kesselring remembered. “I just knew he was a really hard worker, a good leader. He was always really good to me when I was at camp. Always said ‘hi.’ Always made everybody feel included, which was nice. It’s funny now that our paths cross again.”

Kesselring also remembers Nurse beating all the defenseman when skating down-and-backs at camp.

In 2022-23, Kesselring met ex-San Jose Sharks defenseman and “Sharks Pre-Game Live” host Jason Demers. Both were with Oilers AHL affiliate Bakersfield Condors, Demers at the end of a solid playing career, Kesselring trying to begin one.

“I feel like my mindset is a lot better just from talking to him and trying to be more even-keeled,” Kesselring said of Demers. “I’m an emotional person, so sometimes I get too up and down. That’s something I’m pretty happy with so far to start the year. I’ve been pretty even-keeled. Play the game, think about it for a few hours, and then like [the Dallas Stars] game, forget about it and move on. And I think that’s one thing he’s really helped me with.”

Later that season, the Oilers traded Kesselring to the then-Arizona Coyotes.

“I thought that whole year in Bakersfield, I was going to get a chance in Edmonton, and it didn’t work out,” Kesselring shared. “And I was just so happy to be in the NHL. Even the next year when I got called up after the first few games, I was just so happy to be there.”

It didn’t matter to Kesselring that he was playing at Arizona State University’s arena, capacity 4,600, and taking “a few minute walk” between the rink and locker room. He was in the NHL.

“Honestly, I have some of my best hockey memories in that rink,” he said. “I remember the last game in Mullet [Arena], we beat Edmonton. I always wanted to get Edmonton back a little bit. But, it was definitely an interesting experience.”

The following season, Kesselring flourished with the then-Utah Hockey Club. He set career-highs with seven goals, 12 assists, and ice-time at 17:41 a night. He also won a 2025 World Championships gold under San Jose Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky. But then, he was traded with Josh Doan to the Buffalo Sabres for JJ Peterka that off-season.

He struggled there last year. Kesselring battled different injuries throughout the season and “never got in any sort of a rhythm.” He only played 34 games, from both being healthy scratched and injuries. He averaged 13:23 of ice time in those games, netting just two assists.

Ultimately, Kesselring wasn’t surpassing Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Bowen Byram, and Mattias Samuelsson, arguably the best top-four in the league, on the depth chart. The Sabres even added Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn at the deadline. Kesselring felt like he fell out of favor with the Buffalo coaching staff.

“I thought after Utah, ‘Oh, this is gonna be easy,’” Kesselring said. “I had to deal with a little adversity for a year. I think that’s where I learned [that] I’ve got to be more even-keeled and be able to bounce back from bad games quicker … It sucked to go through, but now I feel like I’m really ready for this opportunity.”

The Sabres dealt pick No. 27 and Kesselring to the San Jose Sharks for pick No. 20 ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft. The Sharks were trying to upgrade their blueline this off-season, adding Kesselring, Nurse, and Jacob Trouba.

Kesselring signed a three-year, $13.5 million contract extension shortly thereafter. How’s he feeling about his opportunity in San Jose?

“A big thing for me, I like to be offensive, so I feel like there’s a path for me to help create here,” Kesselring said. “Obviously, I’ve got to take care of the D-zone. But, I think skating with the puck and trying to make some plays sometimes is where I can separate myself and be a really good top-four [defenseman.]”

Through 11 games, Kesselring has played top-four minutes, 19:41 a game, third among San Jose Sharks blueliners, behind only Trouba (22:00) and Nurse (21:08).

The offense is coming, too, for Kesselring, highlighted by a gorgeous assist to long-time friend and summer training partner Will Smith. It was his first point as a member of the San Jose Sharks.

“It was funny. Honestly, all summer that’s kind of how I drew it up in my head,” Kesselring, before admitting, “well, I was thinking more about him passing it to me.”

At this rate, that’s going to come soon. Kesselring has a good shot, scoring 12 goals between Arizona and Utah from 2023 to 2025.

It seems like Kesselring has found a home in San Jose, and is just scratching the surface of what he can do.

“His size, his ability to move, confidence with the puck,” Nurse said. “He’s the full package. He’s got everything there.”

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Recently, top San Jose Sharks prospect Quentin Musty was in Kesselring’s Instagram comments, teasing him.

What did Kesselring, 201 NHL games under his belt, think of this “affront” from the kid?

“I met him over the summer, and he stayed at my place actually for a little bit,” Kesselring said, taking the ribbing in stride. “Just trying to help a young guy in the organization. He has a ton of potential. And we’ve gotten pretty close now. He’s living pretty close to me 1792823953, too.”