Marleau set to break Gordie Howe’s record

LAS VEGAS — Patrick Marleau said he received many congratulatory messages — from former teammates to the legendary Wayne Gretzky himself — as he approached eclipsing the great Gordie Howe’s record for NHL games played.

He talked about one message in particular, from Gordie’s son Mark. The younger Howe said his dad would have been proud to see his record broken by another player from his home province of Saskatchewan.

The 41-year-old Marleau was set to suit up for the 1,768th time Monday — setting a new mark for NHL longevity — when the San Jose Sharks faced the Vegas Golden Knights.

``It’s something that I’m pretty proud of, me being from Saskatchewan and Gordie being from Saskatchewan,’’ Marleau, who hails from the small rural community of Aneroid, said before the record-setting game. ``It’s a pretty cool connection.”

Marleau’s wife Christina and four sons are scheduled to be at the road game, 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,’’ Marleau said. ``She’s by far my biggest supporter. I can’t thank her enough and I can’t thank the boys enough.”

Since being picked second overall in the 1997 NHL draft by San Jose, Marleau has notched 566 goals and 630 assists.