Who holds the record for most consecutive games played in NHL history?

Doug Jarvis holds the NHL record for most consecutive games played, appearing in 964 straight regular-season games.

Jarvis’s ironman streak began with his NHL debut on October 8, 1975, and continued through October 10, 1987. He played for the Montreal Canadiens, Washington Capitals and Hartford Whalers during the run, missing no regular-season game. The streak ended when he was sent to the minor leagues rather than because of an injury.

Jarvis surpassed Garry Unger’s previous record of 914 consecutive games on December 26, 1986. His achievement is especially notable because he was primarily a defensive, checking center rather than a high-scoring star; durability and dependable two-way play defined his career.

Keith Yandle later tied Jarvis at 964 games in January 2022 and then surpassed him, becoming the NHL’s outright ironman record-holder. Jarvis nevertheless remains the record-holder for the longest streak that began at the start of a player’s NHL career, a distinction that can cause confusion when records are phrased differently.