List of NHL players with 1,000 games played

rdf:langString List of NHL players with 1,000 games played

rdf:langString The National Hockey League (NHL) is a major professional ice hockey league which operates in Canada and the United States. Since its inception in 1917–18, 357 players have played at least 1,000 regular season games, varying in amounts between Patrick Marleau's 1,779 and counting to Bernie Federko's 1,000. Of these players, a number have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. From 1961 until being surpassed by Marleau on April 19, 2021, the record for most games played was held by Gordie Howe, who played 1,767 games. A player who reaches the milestone is awarded a silver stick. Thirty-five of the listed players have played for only one franchise (of which nine are still playing in the current 2021–22 season). Five of those players played exclusively for the Detroit Red Wings and four played for the Montreal Canadiens, those teams having the most such players. The record for most teams played for by a player who has competed in over 1,000 games is held by Mike Sillinger, who played for 12 teams in his career; Sillinger played his 1,000th game with his 12th and final NHL team, the New York Islanders. Patrick Roy, Martin Brodeur and Roberto Luongo are the only goaltenders with at least 1,000 games played. Roy spent his career with the Montreal Canadiens and the Colorado Avalanche while Brodeur, with a goaltender-leading 1,266 games, played for the New Jersey Devils and his final seven games with the St. Louis Blues. Luongo played for the New York Islanders, Florida Panthers and Vancouver Canucks in his career. The first 1,000 game goaltender was Patrick Roy, marked in the 2002–03 season. Only 21 players have played in over 1,500 games; of those, 14 have been inducted into the Hall of Fame and three more are not yet eligible for induction. Three of those 21 (Nicklas Lidstrom, Alex Delvecchio and Steve Yzerman) played their entire careers with Detroit; Shane Doan, of the Winnipeg/Phoenix/Arizona franchise, is the only player to play over 1,500 games with a single franchise other than Detroit. In addition, eight of the 18 spent at least some portion of their career with the Red Wings, also more than any other team. Lidstrom's 1,564 games is the most for any player in a career spent with only one franchise. The record for most teams played for by a player who has competed in over 1,500 games is held by Jaromir Jagr, who has played for nine teams in his career. Jagr played his 1,500th game with New Jersey, his seventh NHL team. Due to the much greater number of teams, the greater salaries paid to today's players, and the greater number of games played in a season, the list is dominated by post-expansion players. No NHL player surpassed 1,000 games before Gordie Howe on November 26, 1961, against the Chicago Black Hawks. Only 17 players in the top 100 started their careers before the expansion era, and only two players—Red Kelly and Bill Gadsby—played in more than 1,000 games and finished their careers before the expansion era.