One to Remember: Josi's 1,000th NHL Game Delivers Ideal Ending to Perfect Day

For all the pomp and circumstance that surrounds a milestone like the one Roman Josi attained on Thursday night - the first player in Predators history to reach 1,000 games with the franchise - only one thing truly makes it a night to remember.

Yes, the Nashville captain was thrilled to have his wife, children, parents, brother, friends and family in town to celebrate the occasion. He was humbled by the gifts and outpouring of love he received from his teammates, who all sported his No. 59, his last name and a “C” on their jerseys during warmups.

And he would’ve been forever grateful for the adoration Preds fans continue to show him day after day, season after season.

But, let’s not kid ourselves - a loss would have put a bit of a damper on the parade.

Instead, Steven Stamkos and the rest of the Preds weren’t about to let that happen.

After falling into a 3-0 hole against Ottawa on Josi’s night, the Predators stormed back to score five unanswered - three off the stick of Stamkos himself - on their way to one of the more memorable comebacks in recent memory.

That was always how a night like this was supposed to go, right? Sure, perhaps without a three-goal deficit to start, but the ending was just right.

“It was fun,” Josi said. “Obviously, it's so nice to get a win. I think the way we won, [a] comeback win, and the crowd got into it - it was just a fun atmosphere, a fun game. And [Stamkos with a hat trick], so it was really nice.”

Approximately 12 hours earlier, Josi was just trying to make it a point to take everything in.

On Thursday morning, Andrew Brunette, who also hit the 1,000 game mark in his playing career, joked that the milestone felt almost like an obituary for him with seemingly everyone in his circle saying nice things. He then remarked on how he wished he would have enjoyed the moment more than perhaps he did instead of just wanting to get through the day.

Josi, one of the more selfless individuals one could ever meet, was certainly appreciative of all that was coming, but there was still a balance to strike.

“I saw Roman this morning, and I thought I was more excited than him, to be honest, for his 1,000th,” Preds winger Jonathan Marchessault smiled postgame.

Still, Josi undoubtedly grasped what a number like this meant, not only to him, but to the entire Nashville organization.

“It's a special day,” Josi said Thursday morning. “It's special for me because of all the trust I've gotten from this organization and being able to play here for so long. It’s pretty cool. This place has become a home for me. There’s so many amazing memories on the ice and off the ice with the organization. It's just an amazing organization. I'm very grateful for the Preds to give me all that trust and being able to [play 1,000 games] here.”

Born half a world away in Bern, Josi has become the greatest Swiss hockey player in history - and he’s done it all in a place that barely knew the sport 25 years earlier.

That’s certainly no longer the case, and a city Josi could hardly find on a map when he was drafted in 2008 has become home.

“There’s so many people that have inspired me over the years and helped me,” Josi said. “You don't get to 1,000 games without any help. So, there's so many people that helped me along the way, and then just the city. I think we have a special bond with our fans, with the community. This place has become home for me. I have so many amazing friends outside of hockey. My [children were] born here, so the city's given me so much, and the organization, too. I’m definitely very grateful.”

That feeling was reciprocated by everyone in the Nashville locker room on Thursday night - just thankful to play a small part in something they’ll certainly remember for the rest of their careers, too.

From Josi’s children, Luca and Ivy, reading the starting lineup, to the final postgame celebration and a team photo to commemorate the occasion, even the most seasoned veterans were thrilled to be in the midst of it all.

“He's an elite defenseman,” Stamkos said of Josi. “He’s been that way for a very long time. It's nice to be playing on his team, but it's just the character guy that he is. The leader, the way he goes about his business, the professionalism, the respect he has, not only in this building, but in this community - just a tremendous human being. They don't grow on trees like that. He’s a special person, and he means a lot to this franchise. Like I said, that's why it was extra special to get that win tonight.”

“I've been part of a couple 1,000th games, but definitely this one is special because he's such an amazing player, but he's even a better person,” Marchessault said of Josi. “It’s been just fun to have him and get to know him the past year and a half. He’s just a high-class player and man, so it's been fun to have him as a friend and being there for him today.”

Even the bench boss with 1,110 games to his own credit couldn’t help but marvel at the way Josi’s edition played out.

“I've been part of a lot of 1,000th games, either games that I've played, coached or been around,” Brunette said. “There’s very few that come to a recollection of a game like that in this building, to come back, and for him to play a big part of it for Roman’s 1,000th game. Like I said, I've seen a lot of these, and this was about as special as they come. So, extremely happy. And you could tell the guys were ecstatic that we were able to pull it through for him. I thought Roman was outstanding tonight.”

Hockey might just be the most unpredictable sport on the planet. One never knows exactly what the final outcome will be. But on this occasion, the stars aligned just how they were supposed to.

Sometimes, the stories help write themselves. And the tale of Josi’s 1,000th NHL game will forever be one to remember.

“Good question,” Josi paused when asked what he’ll remember most about the occasion. “I don't know. I think just the whole day is pretty special. Obviously, having my family, my kids in here before the game was really cool. And then just being around the teammates, and I think just all the love you get all day, it's pretty special. I'm so grateful to be able to play here for so long. I'll remember a lot of things. There [were] a lot of cool moments today.”