Keith Yandle took his place in NHL annals by playing his 965th consecutive NHL game Jan. 5, 2021, breaking the record held by Doug Jarvis, when the defenseman took the ice for his first shift with the Philadelphia Flyers against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena. Jarvis held the record since Dec. 26, 1986, when he played his 915th consecutive game to pass Garry Unger.

An explosive skater with outstanding passing and puck-handling skills, Yandle has become one of the best offensive defensemen in the NHL. He's a consistent leader at the position in assists, power-play assists and power-play points, has one of the game's most lethal shots and he's established himself as one of the game's best power-play quarterbacks.

His NHL career, however, started rather humbly.

Despite scoring 54 points (14 goals, 40 assists) in 34 games at the Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, Massachusetts, Yandle lasted until the fourth round of the 2005 NHL Draft, when the Phoenix Coyotes selected him with the No. 105 pick.

Yandle scored 84 points (25 goals, 59 assists) and was plus-50 in 66 games for Moncton of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League to earn the Emile Bouchard Trophy as the league's top defenseman during the 2005-06 season. He was also named the Canadian Hockey League's Defenseman of the Year after helping Moncton to the QMJHL championship and a berth in the Memorial Cup, where he scored three goals in five games.

Yandle made his NHL debut in the 2006-07 season opener Oct. 11. He scored his first NHL point, an assist, in his second game but was sent to San Antonio of the American Hockey League after seven games.

After playing the first half of 2007-08 with San Antonio, Yandle returned to the Coyotes and scored his first NHL goal in a 3-2 victory against the Flyers on Dec. 18, 2007. In 2009-10, he had his first 82-game season in the NHL, led the Coyotes at plus-16 and tied for the team lead with 16 power-play points.

Yandle was traded to the New York Rangers on March 1, 2015 and scored 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in 19 Stanley Cup Playoff games that season. Scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent, he was traded to the Florida Panthers on June 20, 2016, and three days later signed a seven-year contract. He scored an NHL-career high 62 points (nine goals, 53 assists) during his third season with the Panthers in 2018-19.

The Panthers bought out the final two seasons of Yandle's contract July 15, 2021 and he signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Flyers on July 28, 2021.

Yandle's streak ended at 989 games when he was a healthy scratch against the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 2, 2022. He last missed a regular-season game March 22, 2009 as a member of the Coyotes.

Yandle retired from the NHL on Sept. 20, 2022 after 16 seasons. He had 619 points (103 goals, 516 assists) in 1,109 games with the Flyers, Coyotes, Rangers and Panthers. He also scored 36 points (six goals, 30 assists) in 58 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He scored at least 10 goals in a season four times and skated in the NHL All-Star Game three times (2011, 2012, 2019).

NOTES & TRANSACTIONS

• QMJHL First All-Star Team (2006)
• Canadian Major Junior First All-Star Team (2006)
• Canadian Major Junior Defenseman of the Year (2006)
• Played in NHL All-Star Game (2011, 2012, 2019)
• Traded to NY Rangers by Arizona with Chris Summers and Arizona's 4th round pick (Tarmo Reunanen) in 2016 NHL Draft for John Moore, Anthony Duclair, Tampa Bay's 2nd round pick (previously acquired, later traded to Calgary -- Calgary selected Oliver Kylington) in 2015 NHL Draft and NY Rangers' 1st round pick (later traded to Detroit -- Detroit selected Dennis Cholowski) in 2016 NHL Draft, March 1, 2015.
• Traded to Florida by NY Rangers for Florida's 6th round pick (Tyler Wall) in 2016 NHL Draft and Florida's 4th round pick (later traded to San Jose -- San Jose selected Scott Reedy) in 2017 NHL Draft, June 20, 2016.
• Signed as a free agent by Philadelphia, July 28, 2021.