The NHL sees several players reaching the 1,000 games played milestone with each passing season. The next player up this year is Oliver Ekman-Larsson. He’s set to play in his 1,000th game tonight versus the Washington Capitals.
After spending over a decade of his career with the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes, his career has seen him play in different corners of North America, including Vancouver, Florida, and now Toronto.
Breaking down Ekman-Larsson’s 1,000 games played
As mentioned, OEL spent over a decade playing out of the desert. He totalled 769 games for the Coyotes franchise before he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks. With Vancouver, he suited up for 133 games before his contract (originally signed with Arizona) was bought out.
A free agent heading into 2023–24, Ekman-Larsson signed a one-year contract with the Florida Panthers and we all know how last year panned out for himself and Florida. 80 regular season games in Florida and one Stanley Cup later, OEL was once again a free agent heading into the 2024 offseason.
Winning pedigree and all, he earned a four-year contract courtesy of Brad Treliving and the Toronto Maple Leafs. He entered the season with 982 games under his belt so him reaching this milestone while a member of the Maple Leafs wasn’t a matter of when not if, and it was simply a formality.
A rare accomplishment in the NHL
As per QuantHockey.com, there were 30 active players with at least 1,000 games played heading into the 2024–25 season. There’s a good number expected to hit this mark this year, with Luke Schenn, Tyler Myers, and Mikael Backlund already reaching the milestone this year ahead of Ekman-Larsson, and several more after him.
As much of a team sport as hockey is, this individual accomplishment is always worth celebrating. Congratulations to Oliver Ekman-Larsson!
