SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) – Growing up on a farm as a hockey-loving kid in Saskatchewan, the knowledge that players like Gordie Howe had made the journey from that remote province to the NHL gave Patrick Marleau belief that he could one day follow that same path. Marleau has done far more than make it to the NHL. Now nearly a quarter-century after leaving Saskatchewan to sign with the San Jose Sharks as a fresh-faced teenager, Marleau is set to eclipse Mr. Hockey’s all-time games played record in the NHL.
Marleau has played in 1,765 career games and is poised to tie Howe‘s mark of 1,767 on Saturday night in Minnesota and break it two nights later in Las Vegas. “Just first and foremost is loving the game, and I just love being out there and playing,” Marleau said Thursday about what has kept him going all these years. “Every kid’s dream is to hoist that Stanley Cup, so I’ve been chasing it all this time, and that goal hasn’t changed for me since you know what the Stanley Cup’s about.” The Stanley Cup has eluded Marleau, who got to the Final once in 2016 in a career with many playoff disappointments.
The 41-year-old Marleau has accomplished plenty in his career 566 goals, 1,196 points, three All-Star appearances, and two Olympic gold medals for Canada in 2010 and ‘14. But his supreme skating skill and dependability allowed him to play 895 consecutive games since last missing a contest when he was 29 that will be his legacy. He has played through bouts with the flu, various other bumps, and bruises, and even chartered a plane to join his teammates in Nashville for a game in 2009 after the birth of one of his sons.
“I want to be looked upon when I’m gone that I gave it my all,” he said. “Enjoyed the game, loved the game, loved being around the team, loved winning games. Those are the biggest things.”
Marleau made his debut on Oct. 1, 1997, at age 18 years and 16 days, which is the youngest for any player in the NHL since Lee Wharton debuted at 17 years, 81 days in 1945 for the Rangers. He scored 13 goals as a rookie and then had his first 15 20-goal seasons the following season as he quickly established himself as a top player.
“He was an effortless skater from day one,” said Sharks executive Mike Ricci, who spent seven years as Marleau‘s teammate. “That might be a thing he was blessed with. Being a natural skater and being in tip-top condition, working hard office, and being on the ice are the results you get. There are a lot of effortless players out there who can’t play this long. I remember we joked around, and I would tell him he could play until he was 60. I was exaggerating a bit, but maybe I wasn’t exaggerating as much as I thought.”
While Marleau won’t play until he is 60, he isn’t ready to hang it up after this season. It’s a similar mindset to Howe, who retired at 52 after posting 41 points in his final season for Hartford. Howe also played 419 games in the WHA, which doesn’t count toward his NHL record.
