Patrick Marleau is well on his way to setting a new NHL record

Suiting up for his first NHL game during the 97-98 season, it's no secret that veteran forward and former Sharks Captain Patrick Marleau has been performing at the professional level longer than just about anyone.

As a matter of fact, Marleau has been at it for so long some of his competition on the ice, including Western Conference powerhouses like Patrik Laine, Cale Makar and Elias Pettersson weren't even born when Marleau made his NHL debut.

So, just how extensive of a career are we talking about?

Following his debut, the 40-year-old would suit up for 1,723 games to date, including a streak of 854 consecutive games. Given the impressive numbers, the veteran and Olympic Gold Medalist is continually and quietly climbing the ranks for Most NHL Games Played, where he currently sits in 5th place.

While 5th may seem like a large hill to climb, Marleau is just 45 games shy of tying Gordon Howe (1767 GP) for most all-time. Actually, without this years pause amidst the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Pandemic, and multiple lockouts through his career, the master of longevity would have already surpassed Mr. Hockey.

With the assumptions of a healthy Marleau making a return for the upcoming Stanley Cup Playoffs and a healthy 20-21 season, it's very likely he'll surpass Howe and effectively take sole possession of the Most Career Games Played record.

Through his 1,723 games, Marleau has amassed an impressive 1,188 points, netting 562 goals and 626 assists.

On his way to the top of the games played leaderboard, Marleau is expected to pass NHL legends Ron Francis, Jaromir Jagr, Mark Messier and of course, Gordie Howe.

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