In a way, the milestone Roman Josi recorded on Tuesday night was the easiest he’ll probably ever achieve.
All he had to do was step onto the Bridgestone Arena ice shortly after puck drop against Ottawa to officially receive credit for appearing in the contest. And with that, Nashville’s captain instantly became the Predators franchise leader in all-time regular-season games played with 957, quite an achievement.
And while the feat itself required minimal effort in the moment, what it took to get there should not be overlooked.
Yes, a franchise’s games-played record may not have the visual appeal of a goals or points milestone, but somehow, this one feels just as impressive.
Selected by the Predators in the second round (38th overall) of the 2008 NHL Draft, Josi made his debut a few years later on Nov. 26, 2011 in Detroit. He appeared in 52 games as a rookie, and since then, Josi has been about as consistent as they come.
The Bern, Switzerland, native has skated in all 82 games on two different occasions, but he’s hit at least 80 in five seasons and, excluding his first campaign, has never dressed in fewer than 67 outings in a full 82-game slate.
In some ways, the 34-year-old can feel that he’s in the midst of his 14th season - all with Nashville - as the normal wear and tear of a professional hockey player appears from time to time. But on the contrary, that November night in Detroit doesn’t feel that far gone.
“It feels like it flew by, but at the same time, when you look back, there's so many different years and different things to happen over the course of my career,” Josi said Tuesday from his stall less than 24 hours after reaching the milestone. “But I think if you look back, it definitely flew by. It doesn’t feel like I've been here for 14 years and playing this many games. So time definitely goes fast.”
The number itself - 957 - doesn’t come with the same fanfare as, say, No. 1,000 might, a digit Josi will likely hit sometime next season, but to become the franchise leader in the category is still worth appreciating.
“It’s pretty cool,” Josi said of the feat. “As a kid, you always dream about playing in the NHL, and I’m very grateful that I was able to play this many games - and play this many games for this organization. This place has become home for me, and there have been so many different emotions throughout my career, and so many great memories by playing here and just being in the community. I feel very fortunate that I was able to play this many games here, and hopefully many more to come.”