Yandle’s streak of consecutive games played, which reached record-breaking heights on Tuesday, featured 103 contests with the Rangers.
It’s not often that anyone associated with the New York Rangers has something nice to say about a Philadelphia Flyer. Tuesday night’s events in the NHL marked an understandable exception.
Former Ranger Keith Yandle broke a long-standing league record at the start of the Flyers’ showdown with the New York Islanders at UBS Arena, as the veteran defenseman partook in his 965th consecutive NHL contest. His appearance on the Flyers’ first shift allowed him to pass the previously established “iron man” streak set by former Montreal/Washington/Hartford center Doug Jarvis in 1986.
The Rangers commemorated Yandle’s accomplishment, earned amidst constant roster adjustments in the wake of the ongoing health crisis, with a Twitter post acknowledging both his mark in league history and his time as a Blueshirt.
965 consecutive NHL games played, 103 of them as a #NYR.
Congratulations, Keith, on breaking the NHL's Ironman record. pic.twitter.com/FyGHZiLCaZ
— x – New York Rangers (@NYRangers) January 26, 2022
The Rangers played host to 103 games of that historic tally, playing parts of two seasons with the team after his original squad in Arizona traded him east in March 2015. Yandle, the 105th pick in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, came over along with fellow defenseman Chris Summers and a fourth-round pick in 2016 (which was later used on Tarmo Reunanen) in exchange for blueliner John Moore, prized prospect Anthony Duclair, and two draft picks (both of which were later dealt).
He’d go on to partake in the latter stages of the Rangers’ Presidents’ Trophy campaign before playing all 82 games of the 2015-16 season in blue. Yandle’s most notable accomplishment in New York was perhaps a pain of multi-point games during the 2015 Eastern Conference Final against Tampa Bay, including a one-goal, two-assist showing in Game 4.
With Yandle set to hit free agency after the 2015-16 season, the Rangers traded his negotiating rights to the Florida Panthers in exchange for a sixth-round pick (that became goalie Tyler Wall). Florida subsequently signed Yandle to a seven-year deal, though the Panthers bought out the final two years of his deal after last season, leading to his current path with the Flyers.
Yandle’s history has been a rare silver lining for the downtrodden Flyers (13-22-8). Philadelphia has dropped 13 games in a row, including Tuesday’s 4-3 loss to the Islanders. He’ll make a return trip to MSG on April 3.
The modern Rangers will return to action on Thursday night, when they take on the Columbus Blue Jackets on the road (7 p.m. ET, MSG).
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags