Article By: Western Hockey League

Patrick Marleau etched his name in the National Hockey League history books Monday. The former Seattle Thunderbirds forward passed Hall of Famer Gordie Howe to become the NHL’s all time leader in games played.

Marleau skated in career contest number 1,768 when his San Jose Sharks squared off with the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

“I’m very grateful and blessed that I was able to do this with all the support I’ve had over my career,” Marleau said after the game. “You don’t have these kind of nights without great teammates and a great organization. It’s something I’ll never forget.”

“There was something bigger on the line than the two points. It was the most fun game this year to be a part of, and I enjoyed every second of it,” Sharks coach Bob Boughner added.

Marleau was the sixth overall selection in the 1994 WHL Draft, and proceeded to spend two seasons with the Seattle Thunderbirds, amassing 199 points (83-116-199) in 143 games.

He finished third in WHL scoring during the 1996-97 season with 125 points, adding 23 more in the playoffs as the Thunderbirds reached the WHL Championship series.

Marleau was named to the WHL Western Conference First All-Star team in 1997.

San Jose selected the Aneroid, Saskatchewan native with the second overall pick in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. Marleau made his Sharks debut in October of 1997 and has since gone on to appear in 1,773 regular season and playoff games in San Jose silks.

Marleau has enjoyed remarkable consistency at the NHL level, recording 13 seasons with 25 or more goals. He reached a high-water mark of 44 tallies during the 2009-10 season. He became the 45th player in NHL history to score 500 career goals in February of 2017.

The 41-year-old has shared NHL ice with more than 3,000 different players over the course of his 23-year career with the Sharks, Maple Leafs and Penguins. That equates to more than one-third of all players in League history.

The three-time All-Star can also become just the fourth player in NHL history to appear in 900 or more consecutive games when San Jose and Vegas meet again Wednesday night.

Marleau has enjoyed success on the international stage, too, winning gold with Team Canada at the 2003 IIHF World Championships and 2004 World Cup of Hockey.

Marleau was also a member of the Olympic gold medal-winning squads in 2010 (Vancouver) and 2014 (Sochi).

After Monday’s game, Marleau was asked whether a 2,000th NHL appearance is in the cards.

“We’ll see,” Marleau chuckled. “The body feels good, I feel good. We’ll see how long I can stay on this journey.”

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