Josi's Defense Partners Reminisce on Playing With Preds Captain Ahead of 1,000th NHL Game

Almost 1,000 games have passed, but Shea Weber still remembers observing a young Roman Josi sitting in his stall back in November of 2011.

He hasn’t forgotten the beverage of choice, either.

“He was just a little kid drinking his chocolate milk - just happy-go-lucky,” Weber said of Josi in the locker room. “But when you saw him skate and possess the puck and the way he just moved, it was like, ‘OK, yeah, there it is.’”

Hal Gill recalled a similar first impression when he was acquired by the Predators during the 2012 Trade Deadline of Josi’s rookie season.

“I'm walking in, I meet Shea Weber, and I’m like, ‘Dang, that's a man.’ And I looked over at Roman Josi, and he was just babyfaced,” Gill smiled. “He’s drinking his chocolate milk after practice, and I was like, ‘All right, what am I going to get here playing with him?’ Then all of a sudden, he gets on his skates, and he skates like the wind. And I'm like, ‘OK, I see what they're talking about.’”

Yes, despite the post-practice boyish charm, Josi left little doubt from an early age of his potential in the best hockey league in the world.

And as his fellow defensemen began to realize on a nightly basis, the Swiss blueliner was more than just another prospect - he was special.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise to now-former NHLers like Weber and Gill - both of whom have 1,000 games to their respective credits - that Josi is about to attain the same milestone on Thursday when the Preds host the Senators.

Even more impressive?

Nashville’s captain will become just the 84th player in NHL history to play his first 1,000 NHL games with the same franchise.

“First of all, it's crazy to think,” Weber said via phone of his former defense partner and longtime friend. “Time goes by so quickly when you're playing the game… It’s not like I didn't believe he was going to do it, but it’s just crazy how fast it seems time has flown by and here he is in 1,000 games, which is incredible and well deserved. I mean, he's obviously dealt with a couple of injuries and things he's dealt with the last couple of years, which has been tough on him, but it's an amazing accomplishment. I’m super, super proud of him.”

A Hockey Hall of Famer and former Preds captain himself, Weber spent just about as much time as anyone alongside Josi as a defense partner during their five seasons together in Nashville. Josi lived with Weber when he first came into the League during the 2011-12 campaign, and while Weber made it a point to help out all of Nashville’s young defenders, Josi clearly had a different way about him.

Josi has now surpassed Weber - and just about every other player in franchise history - in recent seasons across virtually every category, including all-time assists (554), points (752) and, of course, games played.

While the offensive capabilities have always been readily apparent, Weber was often impressed with Josi’s defensive prowess and his desire to be just as good in his own end as he was at helping to put the puck in the net of the opponent.

“I think the biggest thing for me with a guy like that who has that ability is he defends hard. He’s hard on his check. He's hard in front of the net. He gives those little cross checks to guys - I don't know where he got that from,” Weber said, wryly. “He’s not shy. And, he blocks a ton of shots, too, which people don't really talk about that for a skilled guy. He eats a lot of pucks. He does the little things that you don't always expect from those highly offensive players. And I respect that. I love that he does that, and I love what he brings to the game.”

Gill had a similar sentiment when recalling Josi’s attributes. A veteran of 1,108 games himself who is now a member of the Predators television and radio broadcasts, Gill is impressed with not only the milestone but what Josi has gone through to get here.

While remarkably durable throughout his 15 seasons with the Preds, Josi has dealt with his share of ailments over time, including a POTS diagnosis last summer.

But Nashville’s on-ice leader has always found his way back into the lineup, and the difference is notable when No. 59 is dressed.

“Every player who gets to 1,000 games has to go through a lot, but I think it's a mindset of, ‘How do I help my team?’” Gill said. “And you can see how he does that when the team needs him. He’s usually the guy that steps up and rushes up the ice and makes the big play, and so I think that's the thing I see with ‘Jos’ and anyone who gets to 1,000 is you just grind. You're in the moment, and you're trying to win games and do whatever it takes for the team to win games, and that includes blocking shots. If you blocked a shot and missed some games, that's part of it… Because usually the guys that don't want to do the grunt work might stay healthy, but they're not going to get to 1,000. I've been really impressed with what he's done and the obstacles he's overcome to get to 1,000.”

Dante Fabbro had a much different first impression of Josi than his predecessors.

Selected by Nashville in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft, Fabbro made his NHL debut in the spring of 2019. This time, it was Josi who was the established all-star while Fabbro was the young kid.

He didn’t need long to realize Josi was someone to emulate in every way to find success.

“My first taste of the NHL and getting to see these guys up close, especially a guy like ‘Jos,’ was just invaluable," Fabbro said of his former teammate. “Coming to the rink every day and getting to see how he conducted himself, the hours he spent taking care of himself, and he was always very mentally prepared. He did a lot of things away from the rink that made him the player he is today. For me, as a young kid, getting to see one of the best defensemen in the League up close and personal was definitely pretty cool for myself… It’s been surreal, honestly, just to say that I got to play with a guy like that.”

Now a member of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Josi and Fabbro became a consistent pairing at times through Fabbro’s five-plus seasons with the Preds to start his career.

Fabbro credits Josi with helping the young defenseman to develop his game at the NHL level and realize mistakes will be made - but the next shift presents an opportunity to make things right again. Fabbro says his confidence was also boosted from Josi while recognizing that making a big play wasn’t the only way to help the team win.

And then there’s Josi’s aura that puts everyone at ease no matter how many games they’ve played.

“You get shocked with a guy of his stature and just how humble he is and how down to earth he is,” Fabbro said. “He’s such a cool human to be around and just such a great guy. He makes everyone feel welcome, and especially for me, coming into that locker room for the first time, he was one of the first guys who texted me and welcomed me to the team… He’s super humble and definitely very dedicated to his craft and wants to win. He’s obviously a serious competitor, and no matter what he does, whether it's hockey or any other sports outside the rink, he definitely likes to compete and be the guy… To stay in the League and stay healthy, and for him to do it at such a high standard and demand so much out of himself, he always seems to deliver every year.”

Josi continues to inspire his current teammates as well, no matter their experience.

Now in his second season with the Preds, fellow blueliner Brady Skjei says the man who has worn the ‘C’ in Nashville for the past eight seasons knows exactly how to fill that all-important role of captain.

“He’s not the loudest, but he definitely speaks up when things need to be said,” Skjei said. “I think he picks his moments to speak up very well, and he leads by example, too. As a captain, whatever you say, you’ve got to back it up, and he definitely does that. And even on the defensive side of the puck, he's willing to block shots and all that. You don't see that all the time from guys of his skill level. The offensive defensemen aren’t always willing to play as hard defensively, and I think he’s just an all-around 200-foot player.”

Perhaps Josi’s style should come as no surprise, considering the leaders he learned from in his earlier years.

“His eyes are just open,” Gill said. “He wants to see everything. He was around Shea Weber and [former Preds Captain] Mike Fisher and pros like that. You stick around Shea Weber long enough, and you learn that he doesn't have to say anything. You just see how he handles himself, what he does in the gym, and so ‘Jos’ learned from that. He learned from everyone he's around, and that's including the guys that are maybe not superstars. He learns how guys grind it out, and he has respect for that. I think that's what is really impressive about him, is his openness to learn from everyone.”

If those study sessions were worth a grade, Josi would be a star student.

At the very least, the observations have helped turn him into not only the greatest Swiss-born player in NHL history, but one of the best defensemen the game has ever seen.

And as he readies to reach a milestone reserved for those who repeatedly endure the wear and tear of the rigors of an NHL season, Josi also does so as someone who simply loves the game.

Whether he was scoring the winner in overtime, blocking a thunderous shot or simply drinking his chocolate milk, it’s easy to see why those who Josi played with in Nashville reciprocate that affection right back.

“I loved playing with him,” Weber said. “It just was easy. He made my life easy, and I'm hoping I made his life easy as well. Our games just complemented each other so well… He wasn’t a young kid that came in and was like, ‘This is the way I'm doing it and this is the way it's going to work.’ He listens, he learns, and obviously his game's grown to the all-star level that it is now… He’s just a great guy and so well-deserving of 1,000 games and more.”