MARLEAU BREAKS HOWE’S RECORD
Patrick Marleau surpassed “Mr. Hockey” for the most games played in NHL history.
Marleau skated in his 1,768th career game to break Gordie Howe’s record when the San Jose Sharks took on the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday night.
Though it was on the road, an exuberant proGolden Knights crowd gave Marleau a rousing welcome during warmups.
Marleau’s wife, Christina, and four sons were in attendance, which wouldn’t be possible in San Jose, where fans still aren’t allowed during the pandemic.
“My wife, I couldn’t have done it without her over all these years,” an emotional Marleau said prior to San Jose’s morning skate. “She’s by far my biggest supporter. I can’t thank her enough and I can’t thank the boys enough.
“My biggest fear is that I don’t thank everybody, that I’m going to miss somebody. If I miss somebody, I’m so sorry, but I will eventually, you know, try and make it right and thank everybody that needs to be thanked. Just very grateful.”
Over his career, the 41year-old Marleau has made 1,596 appearances with the Sharks, 164 with the Toronto Maple Leafs and an additional eight as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Howe played in 1,767 regular-season games and 419 more in the World Hockey Association, the latter of which are not recognized by the NHL.
“I feel very fortunate to have a front-row seat for it,” said Golden Knights coach Peter DeBoer, who coached Marleau for two-plus seasons in San Jose. “I feel fortunate that I know the man and the athlete having coached him. He was a gentleman. He was a great teammate. That’s gonna be one of those things I’ll be able to tell my grandkids about one day, that not only did I coach him, but I was there for that night, pretty special accomplishment.”
During his almost quarter-century career, Marleau has 566 goals, 1,196 points, three All-Star appearances and two Olympic gold medals for Canada in 2010 and ’14.
The respect Marleau has established throughout his career was evident by the comments of several Golden Knights, San Jose’s chief rival since Vegas entered the league in 2017. Both MarcAndre Fleury and captain Mark Stone praised Marleau for his durability through two eras of hockey.
Notable
The NHL suspended Canucks defenseman Alexander Edler for two games for kneeing Toronto forward Zach Hyman. Edler also will forfeit $103,448 under the terms of the league’s collective bargaining agreement and will be eligible to return on Saturday.
• The Devils signed firstround pick Alexander Holtz to a three-year, entry-level contract starting next season.