San Jose Sharks striker Patrick Marleau played his 1,768th career game at the Vegas Golden Knights Monday night, breaking the Hall of Famer Gordie Howe record for the most time in NHL history.
Marleau, 41, began his career in San Jose in the 1997-98 season. Marleau set the game record in 23 seasons. Howe, who likes Marleau, is originally from Saskatchewan, Canada, racked up 26 seasons before “Mr. Hockey” retired permanently at age 51.
This was the 899th consecutive game he has played, the second longest streak of iron men among active players.
Marleau started the game on the right side of the Sharks. The announcement that had set the record was made at the first stop in play. He circled the ice with the stick in the air. A video message from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was played, congratulating Marleau on a career that “shows no signs of slowing down.” Las Vegas fans, including some Sharks fans and Marleau’s family, gave him a standing ovation.
“You don’t really know how you’re supposed to feel. There’s a match tonight, but there are also a lot of things at once,” Marleau said before the match. “I just try to embrace it and keep it all in mind. I love being able to thank the people who have helped me along the way.”
The sharks also celebrated the occasion with some additions to the locker room. They added a sticker with a silhouette of Marleau next to his signature, his number 12 and “1,768 games played.” The same logo appeared on the right shoulder of the shirts. They had hooded sweatshirts with a Marleau cartoon drawing celebrating a goal. Goalkeeper Martin Jones wore a new mask with Marleau’s name painted on the side.
Marleau received a pair of commemorative gloves during practice with the grammatically challenged “Most Games Played in NHL History: 1,768th NHL Games,” along with the Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins logos. the three teams he has played for.
Prior to the game, the Sharks’ local television affiliate performed video tributes to members of San Francisco Giants and 49ers coaches, Oakland Athletics and Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who congratulated Marleau on his longevity and said, “I played in about 900 games in the NBA, and I can barely walk.”
Congratulations to all of The Bay! 👏#BayAreaUnite pic.twitter.com/kfoajUuyrO
– San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) April 20, 2021
The Golden Knights are the archival rival of sharks, but they were also afraid of Marleau’s achievements.
“No matter how much you hate your opponent, no matter how much you want to beat your opponent, you still respect your opponent. I think all of our locker rooms respect the hell of what he’s doing,” said Captain Mark Stone. “For him to play 82 games a season, never miss a game, always be there, he talks a lot about what kind of professional he is.”