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Flyers' Keith Yandle Breaks NHL Record with 965 Consecutive Games Played
January 26, 2022
Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Keith Yandle is the NHL's new iron man.
Yandle appeared in an NHL-record 965th consecutive game when he took the ice for Tuesday's contest against the New York Islanders. Former NHL forward Doug Jarvis held the previous record of 964 straight games during a streak that lasted from 1975 to 1987.
Yandle tied Jarvis' mark during Monday's loss to the Dallas Stars.
"It wasn't really something I expected," he told reporters. "I just kind of never really thought about it. I saw the guys standing for me, cheering. All the fans. It definitely meant a lot."
The defenseman first appeared in an NHL game in 2006-07, but the streak started in his third season in March 2009. He has not missed a single game since, though, as ESPN's Greg Wyshynski noted, there have been multiple "close calls."
The Florida Panthers nearly made him a healthy scratch at the start of the 2020-21 campaign, and he lost a number of teeth in November 2019 but played the following day after dental work.
Yandle has skated for the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes, New York Rangers, Panthers and Flyers throughout his career with this being his first season in Philadelphia. He entered Tuesday's contest with zero goals and 13 assists in 42 games to go with a plus-minus total of minus-22.
The defenseman was named to the All-Star Game in 2011, 2012 and 2019 but is more of a veteran presence in the back end of the depth chart for Philadelphia at 35 years old at this point of his career.
He also might have to keep playing for some time if he is going to hold on to his record because Arizona winger Phil Kessel has appeared in 940 consecutive games dating back to November 2009 when he was a member of the Boston Bruins before stints with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins.
Despite Yandle's new record, the Flyers are just 13-21-8 and in last place in the Metropolitan Division.