The NHL’s current ironman, Keith Yandle, has nothing on his father when it comes to toughness.
Legendary Massachusetts high school hockey coach Buddy Yandle, father of Keith, used to sleep about two hours per day between two or three jobs — all while punching the clock without complaint.
"I don’t ever remember a day when he called in sick or didn’t make it to work," Keith Yandle said. "We didn’t appreciate it then as much as we do now. It’s amazing how he did it; he never once complained. He could run on two hours of sleep, and he did that every night for 30 years."
Keith Yandle has followed in his father’s footsteps and lived by the motto that "availability" is the greatest ability. He holds the current record among active players for consecutive games played with 715 — a streak dating back to the spring of 2009. This season, the 31-year-old Milton, Mass., native was a part of the Florida Panthers’ top defensive pairing along with Aaron Ekblad. Yandle tied a career high with 48 assists, while Ekblad set a career high with 16 goals. Yandle led the team with 24:29 of ice time a night.
"That streak is very important to me," Yandle said of his ironman label. "It’s an honor to play in the NHL, and I try to show up every day and continue to get better and do what I’m supposed to do, which is play the game."
Through a commitment to strength training, conditioning, flexibility, nutrition and recovery, Yandle has been able to answer the bell for all 82 games (with the exception of the 2012-13 strike season) for nine consecutive seasons. That’s not to say he’s been 100 percent healthy.
In 2016-17, Yandle hardly practiced with the Panthers over the final three months of the season due to a separated shoulder and ankle injury. During a year-plus stint with the Rangers in 2015-16, Yandle also played despite suffering a separated shoulder.
In his mind, playing with those injuries was no more heroic than the memories of his father fighting through illness while fulfilling his full-time job as a midnight-shift truck driver for FedEx. Buddy Yandle reported for duty every day — even if he wasn’t feeling well — and then coached high school hockey at either Randolph or Canton High, in addition to running hockey camps and clinics at Hingham Rink.
"I remember him going to work even if he wasn’t feeling well because that’s what he had to do to make ends meet," Yandle said. "My mom (also a FedEx employee) did the same thing. I think about that when there’s a game and I don’t feel 100 percent. Obviously, I’m not going to be able to play 100 percent, but if I’m able to put on my skates and get my jersey on, I’m going to show up and do what I can."
Buddy also shuttled Keith and his two elder siblings to hockey practices, as well as practices for various other sports. Keith’s brother, Brian, went on to play hockey at UNH.
Keith played his high school hockey at Milton before prepping at Cushing Academy. The latter is where he started to get a sense that professional hockey might be in his future, and he dedicated himself to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
"Once I started thinking about playing in college and the pros, I made it my life," Yandle said. "Nowadays, I eat right all year-round. I’m working out and doing yoga and pilates. Everything I do is geared toward getting better every year. As I get older, I have to continue to do what the young guys do."
Yandle’s decision to alter his lifestyle in the name of health and longevity certainly has been a lucrative one. In June 2016, Yandle signed a seven-year, $44 million contract with the Panthers. The contract will take Yandle through the 2022-23 season, when he is 35 years old. Florida’s trust that Yandle can keep himself in peak condition through his mid-30s helps legitimize the sacrifices he’s made over the years.
"There are days in the summer, my family is at the beach or on vacation," Yandle said. "I want to be joining them. But you’re making a life for yourself that you could never imagine. Going to play at practice is my favorite thing in the world. I’m trying to be the best player I can be, and I do that every year."
The money doesn’t appear to have negatively impacted Yandle’s work ethic. Since signing the seven-year deal, he has played in 164 of a possible 164 games for Florida.
Once again, it’s an attribute he feels he developed from his father, who has continued to find work well after his retirement from FedEx and coaching.
"He’s done working, but he can’t stay in one place all day," Yandle said. "He has a buddy that owns a funeral home, so he helps out there as much as he can. He’s a worker, so he’s got to keep working."
