The National Hockey League (NHL) is the major professional ice hockey league which operates in Canada and the United States. Since its inception in , 423 players have played at least 1,000 regular season games, varying in amounts between Patrick Marleau's 1,779 to Bernie Federko's 1,000. Of these players, a number have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. A player who reaches the milestone is awarded a silver stick.
Forty-eight of the listed players have played for only one franchise (of which 12 are still active as of the conclusion of the ). Five of those players played exclusively for the Detroit Red Wings and four played for the Montreal Canadiens, those teams having the most such players. From 1961 until being surpassed by Marleau on April 19, 2021, the record for most games played was held by Gordie Howe, who played 1,767 games. The record for most teams played for by a player who has competed in over 1,000 games is held by Mike Sillinger, who played for 12 teams in his career; Sillinger played his 1,000th game with his 12th and final NHL team, the New York Islanders. Brothers Eric, Jordan, and Marc Staal are the only trio of brothers to play 1,000 games each in the NHL, with Marc making this achievement possible by playing his 1,000th game in the 2021âÂÂ22 season. Patrick Roy, Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo, and Marc-Andre Fleury are the only goaltenders with at least 1,000 games played. The first 1,000-game goaltender was Roy, marked in the 2002âÂÂ03 season while Brodeur has a goaltender-leading 1,266 games.
Only 24 players have played in over 1,500 games; of those, 17 have been inducted into the Hall of Fame and four more are not yet eligible for induction. Three of those 24 (Nicklas Lidstrom, Alex Delvecchio and Steve Yzerman) played their entire careers with Detroit; Shane Doan, of the Winnipeg/Phoenix/Arizona franchise, is the only player to play over 1,500 games with a single franchise other than Detroit. In addition, eight of the 24 spent at least some portion of their career with the Red Wings, also more than any other team. Lidstrom's 1,564 games is the most for any player in a career spent with only one franchise. The record for most teams played for by a player who has competed in over 1,500 games is held by Jaromir Jagr, who has played for nine teams in his career. Jagr played his 1,500th game with New Jersey, his seventh NHL team.
Due to the much greater number of teams and the greater number of games played in a season, the list is dominated by post-expansion players. No NHL player surpassed 1,000 games before Gordie Howe on November 26, 1961, against the Chicago Black Hawks. Only 17 players in the top 100 started their careers before the expansion era, and only two playersâÂÂRed Kelly and Bill GadsbyâÂÂplayed in more than 1,000 games and finished their careers before the expansion era.
This list is updated at the end of the season, except for the list of a player's teams, and if the all-time record is broken.
Note: There have been two different NHL franchises carrying the Winnipeg Jets name: one that played from 1979âÂÂ96 and that is now the Utah Mammoth, and one from 2011 onward, formerly the Atlanta Thrashers. Players with the first franchise are marked as having played with Winnipeg (original).
The following is an index of players who have played at least 1,000 games with a single NHL franchise, as of the conclusion of the 2024âÂÂ25 NHL season.
The Ducks' active leader in games played is Troy Terry, who has played 427 games with the team.
The Coyotes franchise suspended operations at the conclusion of the 2023âÂÂ24 NHL season, making it the only defunct franchise with 1,000-game players. No player played 1,000 games solely with the team in Winnipeg, while Doan is the only player to have played 1,000 games solely in Arizona.
The franchise was originally known as the Winnipeg Jets from 1979 to 1996 (not to be confused with the current Winnipeg Jets), and was also previously known as the Phoenix Coyotes from 1996 to 2014.
The Bruins' active leader in games played is David Pastrnak, who has played 756 games with the team.
The Sabres' active leader in games played is Rasmus Dahlin, who has played 509 games with the team.
The franchise was originally known as the Atlanta Flames from 1972 to 1980.
The Hurricanes' active leader in games played is Jordan Staal, who has played 897 games with the team. The franchise was originally known as the Hartford Whalers from 1979 to 1997.
The Blackhawks' active leader in games played is Connor Murphy, who has played 487 games with the team.
The Avalanche's active leader in games played is Nathan MacKinnon, who has played 870 games with the team. The franchise was originally known as the Quebec Nordiques from 1979 to 1995.
No player has played 1,000 games with the franchise. The Blue Jackets' all-time and active leader in games played is Boone Jenner, who has played 741 games with the team.
The franchise was originally known as the Minnesota North Stars from 1967 to 1993, and additionally merged with the Cleveland Barons (themselves originally known as the California/Oakland (Golden) Seals from 1967 to 1976) in 1978.
The Red Wings' active leader in games played is Dylan Larkin, who has played 734 games with the team.
The Oilers' active leader in games played is Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. On January 18, 2026, in his 15th season, he played in his 1,000th game for the Oilers, becoming the first player in franchise history to reach 1,000 games solely with the Oilers.
No player has played 1,000 games with the franchise. The Panthers' all-time and active leader in games played is Aleksander Barkov, who has played 804 games with the team.
The Wild's active leader in games played is Jared Spurgeon. On March 14, 2026, in his 16th season, he played his 1,000th career game with the Wild.
The Canadiens' active leader in games played is Brendan Gallagher, who has played 834 games with the team.
No player has played 1,000 games with the franchise. The Predators' all-time and active leader in games played is Roman Josi, who has played 962 games with the team.
The Devils' active leader in games played is Jesper Bratt, who has played 552 games with the team. The franchise was previously known as the Colorado Rockies from 1976 to 1982, and the Kansas City Scouts from 1974 to 1976.
The Islanders' active leader in games played is Casey Cizikas, who has played 897 games with the team.
The Rangers' active leader in games played is Mika Zibanejad, who has played 649 games with the team.
The Senators' active leaders in games played are Thomas Chabot and Brady Tkachuk, who have both played 512 games with the team.
The Flyers' active leader in games played is Sean Couturier, who has played 900 games with the team.
The Sharks' active leader in games played is Mario Ferraro, who has played 408 games with the team.
Added to the NHL for the , the Kraken have not yet existed for 1,000 games. The Kraken's active and all-time leader in games played is Adam Larsson, who has played 327 games with the team.
No player has played 1,000 games with the franchise. The Blues' current leader in games played is Bernie Federko, who played 927 games with the team. The Blues' active leader in games played is Colton Parayko, who has played 723 games with the team.
The Maple Leafs' active leader in games played is Morgan Rielly, who has played 873 games with the team.
Added to the NHL for the , the Utah Mammoth have not yet existed for 1,000 games. Five current Mammoth players played all 82 games of their inaugural season, collectively leading the franchise.
The Canucks' active leader in games played is Brock Boeser, who has played 554 games with the team.
Added to the NHL for the , the Golden Knights have not yet existed for 1,000 games. The Golden Knights' all-time and active leader in games played is Brayden McNabb, who has played 584 games with the team.
No player has played 1,000 games with the franchise. The Jets' all-time and active leader in games played is Mark Scheifele, who has played 879 games with the team. The franchise was originally known as the Atlanta Thrashers from 1999 to 2011.