Patrick Marleau Ties Gordie Howe For Most Games Played in NHL History
Patrick Marleau has had an illustrious career. He’s a two-time Olympic gold medal winner, World Cup winner, World Championship winner, and three-time NHL All-Star. But Marleau’s proudest accomplishment when he hangs up his skates might be his longevity. Marleau tied Gordie Howe for the most games played in NHL history when the San Jose Sharks played the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night.
Marleau was drafted second overall by the Sharks in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. He’s spent the majority of his career with the Sharks; 1,595 of his 1,767 career games have come in a Sharks jersey, but he spent two seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs and also played eight games with the Pittsburgh Penguins after getting dealt to them at the 2020 NHL trade deadline.
What’s not reflected in Marleau’s 1,767 career games is the 195 playoff games he’s played. He helped the Sharks get to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2016, where they lost to the Penguins.
The Sharks have an outside shot at making the NHL playoffs this season. They are five points out of the final spot in the NHL West Division with two games in hand. They are listed at +15000 on the Stanley Cup futures board at FanDuel Sportsbook.