Another important defenseman from the modern era is hanging them up.
On a day filled with retirement announcements, Keith Yandle got in on the action for himself, officially stepping away from the game of hockey after a successful 16-year career that saw him set a new NHL Ironman streak for most consecutive games played by one player.
Beginning his career with the then-Phoenix Coyotes back in 2006, Yandle now walks into the sunset with 1,109 NHL games under his belt to go with 103 goals, 516 assists, and 619 points, averaging an impressive 20:47 in nightly ice time over his big-league tenure.
After his debut with the Coyotes, Yandle proceeded to spend various stints with the New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, and Philadelphia Flyers.
Yandle never captured a major award at the NHL level. But there was a period in time when he was one of the NHL’s premier offensive defensemen, racking up over 40 assists in a season on seven occasions, and topping 50 points five separate times.
And, of course, no conversation about Yandle can be had without mentioning his Ironman streak.
Beginning on March 26th, 2009, Yandle would go on to appear in a whopping 989 consecutive games spanning eleven years, passing Doug Jarvis’ former record of 965 games this past season when he suited up on Jan. 25 to play the New York Islanders.
Long known as one of the best locker room presences in the NHL, Yandle was exceedingly well-liked by his teammates off the ice and, if he chooses, will almost certainly have an opportunity to remain in the game following his retirement.
