Reaves turns Kessel T-shirts into hot item

If you liked Ryan Reaves’ Phil Kessel-as-Michael Jackson-from-Thriller T-shirt he wore after the game Saturday in Vancouver — and, really, how could you not? — Reaves has some good news. There’s more coming. “I’m working on making more,” Reaves said. Kessel-specific? “Yes,” Reaves said. “Of course.”

Reaves didn’t want to divulge details of those Tshirts or when they would be available. But the wheels, it appears, are in motion.

“I have to finalize some things first,” Reaves said. “I’ll let you know. You can ask me next practice.” Noted. How this whole thing came about is actually a fairly funny tale, and you could have pretty much expected Reaves to wear the Tshirt under his pads in warm-ups Tuesday before the game against the Arizona Coyotes.

Reaves asked his mom, Brenda, to have the shirt made, and he picked it up last week when the Penguins were in Winnipeg, where Reaves is from. He said he wore it on the team plane one day and on the ice for warm-ups at Rogers Place against the Edmonton Oilers.

“That was the last one we won, so I figured I’d try and bring some luck back,” Reaves said of his decision to wear it for a “Hockey Night in Canada” interview after a loss to the Canucks.

Why Kessel?

C’mon, Reaves basically said.

“He’s Phil the Thrill,” Reaves said. “I figured it was a good T-shirt to wear. Who doesn’t love Phil?”

Mustache talk

Bryan Rust and Tom Kuhnhackl walked into the Penguins dressing room together Tuesday, and that was appropriate.

They’re the only two Penguins rocking mustaches for “Movember.” And, oh, what glorious cookie dusters they are.

“Did it in college a little bit,” Rust said. “Did it the last few years. I think this is the thickest it’s been when the month has started.”

The waiting was the hardest part for Rust, who had a full beard in Western Canada.

“I didn’t have the proper tools to make it what it could be,” Rust said.

“Mine just grows in all different directions,” Kuhnhackl said. “In the middle, it’s thin. On the outside, it’s thick. It’s just all random. I think it’s going to get better as the month goes on.”

Tocchet returns

First came hellos and handshakes with members the media. Next, players. Matt Murray. Kuhnhackl. Rust. Chad Ruhwedel. Even Ryan Reaves, who never played for former assistant coach Rick Tocchet, stopped to shake his hand.

Think Tocchet was wellliked here?

Tocchet wasn’t completely comfortable returning as Arizona’s head coach — “It’s a little weird, honestly,” he said — but he certainly was excited to be back for the first time since taking the Coyotes job over the summer.

“It’s fun to be back,” said Tocchet, whose Coyotes lost Monday night in Washington. “It’s going to be a short trip, which I kind of like because it’s an in-and-out type of thing.”

There has been no shortage of support for Tocchet from the Penguins side. He has received regular texts from coach Mike Sullivan, general manager Jim Rutherford and captain Sidney Crosby, trying to help Tocchet stay positive during a difficult start.

Tocchet laughed when it was suggested to him that this was only because he went to a Western Conference team.

“You’re probably right,” Tocchet said. “If I was coaching Philly, there would be nobody out there, I’ll tell you that.”

After the game, win or lose, Tocchet said he was told Rutherford and Penguins co-owner Mario Lemieux would present him with his Stanley Cup ring.

“It’ll be nice to get it,” Tocchet said. “Can’t wait.”

Schultz back

Justin Schultz returned after a six-game absence because of a concussion, starting the game on a defense pairing with Brian Dumoulin.

Matt Hunwick wasn’t so lucky. Hunwick, who missed an 11th consecutive game with a concussion of his own, has not been cleared for game action.