dailyloe.com – Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns reached a historic milestone on Saturday. He played his 1,000th consecutive regular-season game against the Dallas Stars. This makes him only the second player in NHL history to achieve this ironman feat.
The 41-year-old veteran was honored during the game in Dallas. The Stars displayed a tribute on their video board early in the contest. Many Dallas fans joined Avalanche supporters in applauding Burns’s remarkable durability.
The all-time record for consecutive games played belongs to forward Phil Kessel. Kessel skated in 1,064 straight games from November 2009 to April 2023. He achieved this streak with four different NHL franchises.
Burns’s own incredible run began on November 21, 2013, while he was with the San Jose Sharks. He has not missed a single game since that date over a decade ago. His career has also included stints with the Minnesota Wild and Carolina Hurricanes.
This milestone adds to a landmark season for the veteran defenseman. He already played his 1,500th career game in October against these same Dallas Stars. Burns is now in his first season playing for the Colorado Avalanche.
Burns continues to be an offensive force from the blue line at age 41. He has scored 11 goals for the Avalanche this season. He and Nicklas Lidstrom are the only defensemen to score 10+ goals at age 40 or older.
The game against Dallas was Burns’s 1,572nd regular-season appearance in his career. He entered the contest with 941 total career points. Those points consist of 272 goals and 669 assists.
Burns spent the majority of his long career with one franchise. He played 11 of his 22 NHL seasons with the San Jose Sharks. His consistency and longevity have now placed him in exclusive company in hockey history.[]
Source: NBC Sports
