Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Keith Yandle, a Milton, Mass., native, skated in his 965th consecutive National Hockey League game Tuesday night at UBS Arena against the New York Islanders to set an NHL record for most consecutive games played.
"It hasn't really sunk in too much yet. It's something I'm super grateful for, but I'm grateful for playing (even) one game in this league," Yandle said after the game, a 4-3 Flyers loss. "To be a part of the NHL and the NHL family for the last 16 years has been more than a dream come true."
Born in Boston and mentored on the ice by his hockey coach dad, Buddy, in Milton, Yandle progressed from Milton High School to Cushing Academy to the QMJHL, starring on the back end for the Moncton Wildcats alongside future NHL standouts Brad Marchand and Jason Demers.
Drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes in the fourth round, 105th overall, in 2005, Yandle made his NHL debut on Oct.11, 2006, against the Detroit Red Wings
Yandle, 35, has not missed a game since March 26, 2009, when he was a member of the Coyotes, to become the NHL's new ironman. He surpassed forward Doug Jarvis, who skated in 964 consecutive games beginning with his NHL debut on Oct. 8, 1975, to his final game in the NHL on Oct. 10, 1987 with the Montreal Canadiens (1975-82), Washington Capitals (1982-86) and Hartford Whalers (1986-87).
"It's how hockey players are built," Yandle said on Sunday. "You play through as much pain as you can. There have obviously been some times when I have not felt great, when it was tough sledding. But you try to battle through it and help out your team."
New England Hockey Journal profiled Yandle in May 2018:
Keith Yandle: Making of an NHL ironman
NEHJ also chatted with Yandle on his fitness routine that helped make the streak a reality:
The method to Keith Yandle’s fitness madness
Yandle tied the record Monday during a 3-1 loss to the Dallas Stars at Philadelphia.
"When I saw the guys cheering for me, standing up, and all the fans, it definitely meant a lot," Yandle said then. "Your teammates, the guys that you play with, guys that you play against, when they congratulate you and tell you they're proud of you — it hits home, it means a lot. It's definitely a nice thing."
Through 964 games during his streak, Yandle had recorded 479 assists, which ranks second among all NHL defensemen, and 572 points, which ranks third among all defensemen, while his 269 power-play points lead all defensemen since that date. He has logged a total of 20,877:05 time-on-ice, including 3,418:51 on the power play, and an average of 21:39 ice time per-game.
Throughout his entire NHL career spanning parts of 16 seasons in the league, Yandle has appeared in 1,074 regular-season games, recording 102 goals and 511 assists for 613 points with the Arizona/Phoenix Coyotes (2006-07 to 2014-15), New York Rangers (2014-15 to 2015-16), Florida Panthers (2016-17 to 2020-21) and Flyers (2021-22).
He is a veteran of 58 Stanley Cup playoff games and has recorded 36 points in that span, which included a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014 and Eastern Conference final in 2015 with the New York Rangers.
Yandle is a three-time NHL All-Star, having been named to the mid-season game in 2011, 2012 and 2019, and ranks 10th all-time among U.S.-born defenseman in NHL history with his 613 points.
“I remember Ray Whitney said to me when I was young, as long as there’s an NHL symbol on your jersey, that means you’re having a good day,” Yandle said. “So I haven’t taken that for granted, that we play in the best league in the world with the best guys. It’s truly a blessing to put on an NHL uniform every day.”
