Player Milestone
ERIK KARLSSON REACHES 1,000 GAMES PLAYED MILESTONE April 13, 2024 - NHL.com
Erik Karlsson was selected 15th overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 2008 draft, and 15 years and 2 different teams later, has reached the 1,000 games played milestone.
Reflecting on his NHL career, Karlsson stated “I don't think anyone, myself included, expected me to play as early as I did and be able to have the impact that I did early on when the league was very different than it is today,” he continued. “I was given an opportunity to prove myself early on, and I think did a good job achieving that".
His current and former teammates praised Karlsson for his elite skills. “Obviously he’s a game-changer, and every single time he has the puck, you know something special can happen,” Kris Letang said. “He was faster than everyone. At that point, I had never played with anybody that skated as effortlessly as he did,” Spezza said.
Karlsson is the 9th person in NHL history to have won the Norris Trophy 3 times. He is a 7-time NHL All-Star participant and was awarded the NHL First All-Star team, which honors the best performers over the season, 5 times.
Source: NHL.com