Will Patrick Marleau break Gordie Howe's record?

[DitchMarner]

He should retire. Honestly. He's had a very nice career but is done and useless on the ice now.

Sucked for TOR in the 2019 playoffs and did nothing for PIT against MTL this year.

 

[matt trick]

I find it disappointing that so few people in this thread are happy for Marleau. He’s still an NHL-caliber player though a 4th line one. His longevity, availability, and ability to stay healthy in a brutal sport is something to be admired.

You won’t find a shark fan who will say, what he’s done is superior to Howe. Nor will you will you find a reasonable person who says WHA games shouldn’t count when either player is discussed.

I’m expecting San Jose’s season to suck ass next year. Seeing Marleau break the record and hopefully drafting a franchise forward with a top 5 pick, are the only things to look forward to!

 

[Rodgerwilco]

I find it disappointing that so few people in this thread are happy for Marleau. He’s still an NHL-caliber player though a 4th line one. His longevity, availability, and ability to stay healthy in a brutal sport is something to be admired.

You won’t find a shark fan who will say, what he’s done is superior to Howe. Nor will you will you find a reasonable person who says WHA games shouldn’t count when either player is discussed.

I’m expecting San Jose’s season to suck ass next year. Seeing Marleau break the record and hopefully drafting a franchise forward with a top 5 pick, are the only things to look forward to!

Excellent post. He wasn't even THAT bad in Pittsburgh, the team had no chemistry when he arrived and barely had time to even settle in. He's still a valuable hockey player, he doesn't have to be a top-line forward to be useful and valuable to a club.

 

[Video Nasty]

I think he has a great shot at it, so I don't see why not. To play that many games and have teams think you're good enough to dress for a game for so long is a heck of an accomplishment.

You know, commenting on and debating about players is one thing, but there are few things more amusing than sport fans telling any active player to hang them up.

 

[themelkman]

Hes going too. Hes not unplayable, the sharks just played him too much. Id be happy to staple him to the fourth line and let him skate back and forth as much as he wants

 

[Mickey Marner]

He will almost certainly break it.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

I find it disappointing that so few people in this thread are happy for Marleau. He’s still an NHL-caliber player though a 4th line one. His longevity, availability, and ability to stay healthy in a brutal sport is something to be admired.

You won’t find a shark fan who will say, what he’s done is superior to Howe. Nor will you will you find a reasonable person who says WHA games shouldn’t count when either player is discussed.

I’m expecting San Jose’s season to suck ass next year. Seeing Marleau break the record and hopefully drafting a franchise forward with a top 5 pick, are the only things to look forward to!

because he's beyond cooked and is simply hanging around to get a cheap record. its garbage, but sums up his career nicely...unearned accomplishments.

It's also garbage because Howe spent 6 years in the WHA before returning to the NHL for 1 more year.

Not to mention in his final year, at 51! He still scored 41 points in 80 games.

 

[Matty Sundin]

Lol records are meant to be broken. Guys like Gretzky or Howe would not want someone to not break their records just out of respect lol

having said that, Marleau looked done last year and should probably retire anyways.

 

[Midnight Judges]

He can try, but he shouldn't.

It can't be stressed enough how putrid and awful he looked with the Penguins. He didn't look like a player at the end of his rope, he looked like a player who had been hanging there for years.

Then why was he getting a jersey, and why does he keep getting contracts?

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Naaaah. I used to think Gordie was great then I did my research. Glorified Jagr. Even though Jagr is the greater player.

6x Hart (12x Hart finalist)
6x Ross
5x Rocket
4x Cup
12x AS-1
9x AS-2

20x Top 5 in points
15x Top 5 in goals
17x Top 5 in assists

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Skating well above average and having great hockey sense is hardly avoiding contact. He's just not stupid.

He's gonna break the record with SJ. Some will get their panties in a twist. Most will realize it does nothing to take away from Howe or how long he played. It will be the 1 record Marleau has on his own while Howe has others.

please, the next puck battle on the boards he gets into will be the first.

 

[Crosbyfan]

It was disrespectful to set that record in the first place.

Marleau should try to break it just to respect the long history of showing no respect for this record starting with the first game back in 1917.
It was so disrespectful setting that record game 1 that they could only talk 9 players on each team into playing.

 

[weastern bias]

please, the next puck battle on the boards he gets into will be the first.

His 1000th point was literally a 2nd assist gained by winning a puck battle in the corner, but please tell Shark fans more about the player they've watched for two decades

 

[Yackiberg8]

I knew Thornton and Marleau had been around for seemingly forever. I didn't realize that Marleau is 45 games away from breaking Gordie Howe's games played record though.

As a pending UFA do you think a team signs him and he gets enough games in to break the record or will the coming shortened season keep him from being able to break it?

I wonder if it's plausible if the season is say 48 regular season games. At this point is Marleau good enough to avoid being a healthy scratch? Will be interesting to see if/when he approaches said milestone.

I'd say if he plays another 45 NHL games then he does it.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

His 1000th point was literally a 2nd assist gained by winning a puck battle in the corner, but please tell Shark fans more about the player they've watched for two decades

Doesn't hit = no physical ability at all in dwarfston.

 

[Leafs87]

Leafs'll take him at 900k, lol

F no. Never again. He was useless his second year and cost us a 1st to dump him last outing.

He refused to play and had to be bought out. Only willing to have played with SJ. F him. I honestly can’t say I’ve ever downright hated a player before. I blame the leafs for not telling him, don’t report don’t get paid. If you report you’ll likely get benched. Give us a trade list to work with or hold up your end of the contract you signed

 

[Los merengues]

6x Hart (12x Hart finalist)
6x Ross
5x Rocket
4x Cup
12x AS-1
9x AS-2

20x Top 5 in points
15x Top 5 in goals
17x Top 5 in assists

Spent his career playing against plummers, accountants and drunks. Neeext.

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

Worst take I've read in a long time. If he can still play, wants to play, and a team could use him he should do it.

Y’all are responding to guy named Creamy Goodness with a deep fried avatar lmao

 

[sjsharks92]

Considering they won't have many options due to cap constraints, I suspect the Sharks will bring Marleau back on a close to minimum deal and he will break the record in teal. That will likely be the highlight of next season for Sharks fans.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Then why was he getting a jersey, and why does he keep getting contracts?

I said he was awful with the Penguins, which the results clearly painted him to be. If you're expecting me to defend Sullivan's line-up decisions in the bubble...I mean...they were hideously awful and directly led to the Penguins losing the a Canadiens team that had no business being there. Marleau sticking in the line-up out of nothing but reputation when he was clearly a liability was a massive problem, one that the Habs took advantage of. The results are there for all to see.

He's a Sharks legend and the Sharks are bad, if they want to give him contracts when he still wants to play that's up to them...but it shouldn't be outrageous to say that a 41 year-old with more than 1,900 combined regular season and playoff games has reached the end of his effectiveness. Let's not pretend JR is known for his sane and logical transactions that never backfire as immensely as they do immediately or that Toronto had to pay Carolina to buy out his previous contract.

None of this takes away from an amazing career. Anybody withholding a Hall of Fame vote because he ran out of gas in his 40s is a fool.

 

[Martin Skoula]

The record is obviously more important than a cup to him, or he would have played with more than 1% intensity and risked missing a game or two.

If Ovi goes for the goal record, I really hope it's done with more dignity than this. Half assing the game on pity contracts is a bad look.

 

[Iapyi]

The disrespect that some people exhibit is deplorable.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

The record is obviously more important than a cup to him, or he would have played with more than 1% intensity and risked missing a game or two.

If Ovi goes for the goal record, I really hope it's done with more dignity than this. Half assing the game on pity contracts is a bad look.

Yeah, it's not like he moved across the country during a pandemic or anything for a shot at it.

How do you write such bullshit then feel compelled to hit 'reply'? I would have deleted that nonsense and never told a soul.

Pity contracts. What a croc of shit.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Just something else to consider, but that's also less games each season that Howe had to grind through.

oh sure there are a lot of variables

shorter seasons for howe, whole half seasons off for marleau, howe never having to play more than one time zone away, marleau flying in private jets, and an open question of whether old time hockey was tougher on the body than in the 21st century.

i was just pointing out that the lockouts/covid argument for marleau has to also take into account the sub-82 game season length for howe.

 

[T REX]

if he had any respect for the history of the game, he should not pursue it and leave it to Howe

This. Retire. Hollow record.