“Haven’t taken NHL life for granted” – Flyers’ defenseman Keith Yandle recalls Ray Whitney’s advice


“Haven’t taken NHL life for granted” – Flyers’ defenseman Keith Yandle recalls Ray Whitney’s advice

Keith Yandle

Legendary Canadian hockey player Doug Jarvis is all set to finally have company when Philadelphia Flyers’ Keith Yandle takes the ice on Monday night.

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Jarvis was the sole holder of the NHL’s ironman record of 964 consecutive regular-season games played to date. However, the Flyers’ defenseman will tie this astonishing accomplishment during the game against the Dallas Stars and then pass him in Tuesday night’s game against the New York Islanders, barring anything unforeseen.

However, this journey was no less than a roller-coaster for The 35-year-old Yandle, who saw his ironman streak begin on March 26, 2009. Notably, he’s not missed a game since then despite close calls on a couple of occasions where it nearly came to an end.

“It was unbearable how painful it was,” Yandle said back in September of the friendly fire incident, which came during game No. 577 of the streak. “That night I remember being in my hotel room with two of the trainers working to just get it moving until two or three in the morning. I woke up and was able to move it a little bit. Once I got it in the boot, it was OK enough to go.”

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Yandle reveals Ray Whitney’s message during initial days

Keith Yandle and Ray Whitney
Keith Yandle and Ray Whitney

The Massachusetts native Keith Yandle further went on to talk about what Ray Whitney aka “The Wizard” had told him during the earlier phase of his career. He recalled:

“I remember Ray Whitney said to me when I was young, as long as there’s an NHL symbol on your jersey, that means you’re having a good day,” Yandle said. “So I haven’t taken that for granted, that we play in the best league in the world with the best guys. It’s truly a blessing to put on an NHL uniform every day.”

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