SAN JOSE – The offensive production for former San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns might be slowing down. But the Norris Trophy winner, who turned 40 earlier this month, remains as durable as ever.
Burns, now in his 21st NHL season, will extend his consecutive games played streak to 911 games on Thursday when he and the Carolina Hurricanes face the Sharks in San Jose. Only four players in the history of the NHL will have played more games in a row, as Burns is set to move ahead of Sharks legend Patrick Marleau on the league’s all-time list.
Only Keith Yandle, who played 1.109 games from 2006 to 2022, played more consecutive games (989) as a defenseman than Burns.
Perhaps as a superstition, Burns wasn’t eager to discuss the milestone or the streak after the Hurricanes’ morning skate at SAP Center. But his teammates and coaches marveled at Burns’ consistency.
“It’s almost unheard of, to be honest,” fellow Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere said of Burns’ streak. “The way he plays, too, he doesn’t shy away from anything. He’s blocking shots, getting into puck battles, and he’s doing it the right way.
“Seeing what he’s done over his career, and all the success he’s had, not only offensively, but defensively, the way he carries himself. It’s a marvel to see every day.”
On Nov. 21, 2013, Brent Burns returned to the Sharks lineup after a 13-game absence and scored a goal to lead San Jose to a 5-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning at SAP Center.
Burns hasn’t missed a game since. This season, Burns has 23 points in 67 games — down from the 61 points he had in his first season in Carolina in 2022-23 — but he is also averaging 21:28 in ice time.
“It’s pretty simple, to be honest,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said of Burns’ streak. “It’s preparation, it’s commitment. You can’t just luck into that. You’ve got to be willing to put in the work. And by work, I mean not just 21 minutes on the ice.
“It’s the stuff you do after and before to get yourself ready, especially at 40 years old, and he’s willing to do that, and that’s why he’s still going strong.”
Marleau played 910 straight games from April 9, 2009, to May 12, 2021, his final NHL game. He retired the following year after playing an NHL record 1,779 games.
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Burns is on track to play his 915th straight game and move into fourth place on the all-time consecutive games played list on March 28 when the Hurricanes host the Montreal Canadiens. That would move him past Garry Unger, who played 914 straight games from Feb. 24, 1968 to Dec. 21, 1979.
After Thursday, Burns will have played in 1,483 games, one less than Brind’Amour.
“I think it’s probably a little bit understated how hard that is to do, because you have to be a really good player,” Brind’Amour said of Burns’ streak. “You can’t last that long (if you’re not), number one, and then be good at a high level, and he’s done all that.”
What Burns does away from the rink is the most impressive part for Brind’Amour.
“Just the older you get, (what gets) harder to do, is just that willingness to prepare,” he said. “The game’s the easy part. You ask him, 21, 24 minutes, that’s not the hard part. It’s getting ready to play those minutes and all the work that has to go in to stay in shape at that age, to continue to try to get better. You have to have that willingness, too. To get to know him, that’s kind of how he is. Comes to the rink every day, and he’s trying to get better.”
