Patrick Marleau Breaks NHL Career Games Record

When San Jose forward Patrick Marleau started at right wing in the Sharks game at Las Vegas on April 19th, the 41 year old Saskatchewan native played in his 1768th NHL game, breaking Gordie Howe’s record of 1767. All but 182 of Marleau’s games have been with San Jose, with the others being with Toronto and Pittsburgh in the 2017-18 to 2019-20 seasons. Marleau also has an 899 consecutive game streak going as well; the record for that is 964 set by Doug Jarvis.

Marleau has four goals and four assists in 45 games this season. He had 86 points (34 goals and a career high 52 assists) in 2005-06, and 83 points (career high 44 goals with 39 assists) in 2009-10 in his two most productive seasons in terms of points. He has 566 goals and 630 assists in his 23 year career.

Gordie Howe played 25 years in the NHL, mostly with the Detroit Red Wings, but also played six years (419 games) in the rival World Hockey Association before its merger with the NHL. He then had one final season in the NHL with the Harford Whalers (the WHA’s New England Whalers before the merger) in 1979-80 before retiring after the 1979-80 season at age 51. The Whalers are now the Carolina Hurricanes.