Some Records Are Broken

There are records that exist at the NHL that won't ever be touched unless something dramatic changes how the game is played. For every Connor McDavid who can score 120 points in a normal season, there are 31 other coaches looking for ways to shut him down at every turn. And while points totals in one season might be one of those "never again" records, the man in the Philadelphia Flyers jersey above accomplished something very few players will ever approach in today's game outside of, perhaps, one player who is keeping pace with him. What needs to be said is Keith Yandle's new record is pretty impressive when you hear it.

Hockey is a game of bumps, bruises, tweaks, pulls, strains, sprains, and general soreness that pile up. For defenders, add in the added bonus of blocking shots - whether by their own volunteering or because pucks hit them as they're defending - and those bumps and bruises can pile up even faster. When you're a defender like Keith Yandle who logs a ton of minutes and plays against the other team's top players, there's bound to be a laundry list of aches and pains that would make him want to take a night off.

The last time Keith Yandle didn't dress for a game was March 22, 2009. The Phoenix Coyotes, coached by Wayne Gretzky, had scratched Yandle that evening in favour of these defenders against the Anaheim Ducks: Ed Jovanovski, Dmitri Kalinin, Ken Klee, Zbynek Michalek, Kurt Sauer, and David Hale. The Ducks would prey upon the Coyotes' penalty-killing units, scoring three power-play goals in the third period to turn a 3-2 lead into a 6-2 win. That would be the last time that Keith Yandle watched any game from the pressbox.

He would start the next game against the Edmonton Oilers, replacing David Hale in the lineup as the Coyotes looked to bounce back after that loss against the Ducks. He played 14:32 in that game - the least of any of the Coyotes' defenders - but finished with a +1 rating as the Coyotes earned a 3-2 victory over the Oilers. That would be the first game in the "ironman" streak on which he was about to embark!

4688 days later, Keith Yandle has now played in 965 consecutive games, breaking the mark set by Doug Jarvis set between October 8, 1975 and October 10, 1987. Jarvis' streak came to an end when the Hartford Whalers sent him to the AHL's Binghamton Whalers. Yandle's streak, though, looks like it will continue until the Flyers feel he's unable to help them win or Yandle decides that he needs a night off. Neither of those situations seems plausible at this point, so that 965-game record will continue to build, and there's a chance he could hit 1000 games this season with the remaining games left on Philadelphia's calendar!

To put this in perspective, here are the staggering numbers Yandle has amassed since the streak started with Phoenix:

• Yandle's streak started more than 12 years ago.
• Yandle was traded from the Coyotes to the Rangers on March 1, 2015, but played the next night for the Rangers in his 448th-straight game.
• The four players who went from New York to Phoenix in the deal - John Moore, Anthony Duclair, Oliver Kylington, and Dennis Cholowski - have played a combined 1217 games in the NHL, just 252 more than Yandle's current streak!
• Yandle's first game as a Rangers defender was against the Nashville Predators. He was a -1 in 19:41 of ice-time in a 4-1 New York win over Nashville.
• Yandle would be traded from the Rangers to the Florida Panthers on June 20, 2016 where he'd suit up for his 552nd-straight game on opening night of the Panthers' 2016-17 schedule against the New Jersey Devils.
• The two players who went to New York in the deal - Scott Reedy and Tyler Wall - have played just five games combined in the NHL.
• Yandle's opening night in 2016 saw Yandle log 25:35 of ice-time in a 2-1 Panthers win.
• Yandle left Florida as a free agent after having played 922 consecutive games, signing with Philadelphia on July 28, 2021.
• Shane Doan played with Yandle more than any other player - 420 games.
• Yandle has scored 572 of his 613 points during the streak.
• Yandle has skated for 25,091 shifts prior to tonight's game against the Islanders.
• Yandle has logged 20,877 minutes during the streak.
• Yandle has blocked 940 shots during the streak.
• Yandle has played the Dallas Stars the most during his streak - 47 games against the Stars!
• Phil Kessel may be the only player who has a chance to, one day, break Yandle's streak at this point, having skated in 941 consecutive games since 2009.

It's rather amazing to think that Keith Yandle hasn't missed a day of work in 12 years. Yes, there may have been maintenance days here and there where a practice was skipped, but I'm pretty sure the guy earned it after not taking a game off for more than a decade. We know the value of rest when needed, but the fact that Yandle continues to play at a high level for this long without a break is a statement about his dedication to his own health and well-being.

965 games and counting. That's a heckuva record, and it's one that almost certainly will never be broken. There's only one person who may catch Yandle at some point, and that's the man to the right and stated above: Phil Kessel. If there's one thing I've learned about Phil Kessel since he broke into the NHL, don't underestimate Kessel in any way. If you take a night off against Phil Kessel, he'll make you pay.

As it stands, Keith Yandle holds the record for most consecutive games played, but he seemingly can't take a day off unless Phil Kessel does. I'm cheering for both to have good health as they near 1000 consecutive games each as I want to see these streaks continue for as long as humanly possible!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!