Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Keith Yandle did the unthinkable Tuesday night, playing in his 965th consecutive NHL game. That breaks the record for the most games played in a row, surpassing the previous mark set by Doug Jarvis.
Keith Yandle makes NHL history. https://t.co/MjuP4iqpPu pic.twitter.com/k0N80ardUg
— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) January 26, 2022
Jarvis held the ‘Ironman' record since 1986. He previously played for the Montreal Canadiens, Washington Capitals and Hartford Whalers before retiring in 1988.
Both Phil Kessel and Patrick Marleau had recently made a run at the record, both playing in over 900 straight games. But neither could reach the ultimate number.
Yandle is in his 17th NHL season. He played the first nine seasons with the Coyotes. The first eight of which they were still called the Phoenix Coyotes before changing to Arizona. He then played for New York Rangers for a year and change before landing in Florida.
He then spent the next five years with the Florida Panthers before joining the Flyers this season.
Yandle's streak began during his third season in the NHL on March, 26 2009. He hasn't just played in almost 1,000 consecutive regular season games, he has played exceptionally well for a long stint.
He has over 500 career assists and almost 300 career power play points. Yandle was an essential part of Arizona's top defensive grouping for the early part of his career. As ‘Father Time' has started catching up, he has seen his minutes dwindle lately.
Yandle is averaging just over 15 minutes of ice time per game. That is the least minutes per game since his third season in 2008-2009.
During a puck stoppage in the first period, the PA announced to the arena the record that Yandle had just set, bringing the crowd to their feet. In a game as physically demanding as hockey, this truly is an incredible accomplishment.
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