Josi appreciates 'trust from the organization' during path to 1,000 games with Predators

NASHVILLE -- Roman Josi will play in his 1,000th NHL game when the Nashville Predators play the Ottawa Senators at Bridgestone Arena on Thursday (8 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, TSN5, RDS2).

Josi will become the first Predators player to have skated all 1,000 games with the franchise. The 35-year-old defenseman was selected by the Predators in the second round (No. 38) in the 2008 NHL Draft and has 752 points (198 goals, 554 assists) in 999 games.

"It feels like a long time ago, but it doesn't," Josi said. "I feel like time flew by. Just to be able to be here for that long, I definitely never dreamed of playing 1,000 games and never dreamed of playing 1,000 games for the same team. This place means so much to me. I started my family here, had my kids here. So many great memories on the ice and with the organization. Just amazing memories and definitely very grateful that I got the trust from the organization and everyone just to be here for that long."

Josi won the Norris Trophy as the League's best defenseman in 2019-20 and has finished second in the voting twice (2021-22, 2023-24). He's in his ninth season as Predators captain and is Nashville's all-time leader in points.

Last season was a challenge for Josi, who missed the final 25 games because of an upper-body injury sustained Feb. 25, and during the offseason was diagnosed with POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), a condition where a change in posture from lying down to standing causes an abnormal increase in heart rate. But he returned for the start of training camp this season with a clean bill of health, and has 28 points (eight goals, 20 assists) in 37 games while helping the Predators (23-22-4) stay in the race for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. His average ice time of 23:27 per game leads Nashville.

"He understands where the game is at and when he's needed," Predators coach Andrew Brunette said. "Obviously as time goes on, you can't play at a certain level all the time. He's got a pretty good knack of understanding when his game needs to be risen, and that's on both sides of the ice. It probably goes a little bit unnoticed on the defensive side because he's such an offensive player, but he realizes what the team needs and you can see he'll find a way to make that happen."

As much as Josi's play on the ice has stood out during his 15 NHL seasons, his teammates rave just as much about the person that he is off the ice and how much he truly loves the game.

"He's a pretty private guy when it comes to life in general," Predators forward Filip Forsberg said. "I think you get to see the commitment that he has for the game. He's sadly missed time because of injuries, which all of us can relate to in a certain bit. But just the way he's attacked those situations shows how much he cares and loves the game and does all the things right on that side of the ball, so to speak.

"I think it's an inspiration for all of us. Not just the young guys, but guys like me that have seen him his whole career, just to see him take that next step and turn into a true pro. He exemplifies what all of us want to be off the ice and on the ice."

Reaching the 1,000-game milestone Thursday will be the launching point of what will be a memorable next month for Josi, who was one of the first six players named to Team Switzerland at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. It will be his second time playing at the Olympics; he did not have a point in four games for Switzerland at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

"I've definitely been thinking about it," Josi said. "Obviously the anticipation is pretty high, and everybody is excited for it. It's going to be a lot of fun. We've been waiting to go back for a long time, and it's pretty cool even for Switzerland to be able to play against the best teams and best players in the world now."

Josi has been a big part of hockey's growth in Switzerland. There continues to be more NHL talent coming out of the country, and he's excited to join those players in facing off against the best players in the world on the international stage. Some of the players who helped Switzerland win the silver medal at the IIHF World Championship in 2024 and 2025 will be part of the Olympic team.

"It's been pretty cool," he said. "Even when I came up and when I was younger, we had a couple of goalies that played for a long time and the only player who really played for a long time was Mark Streit. He was kind of the first guy who opened all the doors, and now we have 10 or 11 [NHL players] right now I think, and guys with big roles. Just seeing the growth and seeing the international play at the World Championships too, and being able to get some silver medals is pretty cool."

Switzerland is looking to win a medal at the Olympics for the first time since taking bronze at the 1948 St. Moritz Olympics.