CHICAGO -- Brent Seabrook can't believe he's about to play his 1,000th NHL game. The Chicago Blackhawks defenseman reflected on his first game Wednesday and said that, considering that outing, he didn't think he'd last this long.
Seabrook to play 1,000th NHL game for Blackhawks
Milestone bittersweet for defenseman with Chicago out of contention
"I think I was a minus-2 and I was terrible," Seabrook said. "Probably nervous, excitement, whatever."
Actually, Seabrook was minus-1, got his first assist, had a Blackhawks-high six shots and played 17:07 in a 5-3 loss to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim on Oct. 5, 2005. Fond memories of the debut or not, Seabrook appreciates reaching a milestone he said is pretty cool.
Seabrook, 32, will play in his 1,000th NHL game when Chicago hosts the Winnipeg Jets at United Center on Thursday (8:30 p.m. ET; NBCSCH, TSN3, NHL.TV). It's been quite a career for Seabrook, who has won the Stanley Cup three times (2010, 2013, 2015), won a gold medal with Canada at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and been an important leader for the Blackhawks.
"It's been a lot of fun," said Seabrook, selected by Chicago in the first round (No. 14) of the 2003 NHL Draft. "I think we've been through a lot here as an organization. Being able to do it in one spot is pretty cool."
Thursday will be bittersweet, however. The milestone comes at a time of year when Seabrook is usually preparing for the playoffs. Not this time; the Blackhawks (31-36-10) were eliminated March 20. They have made the playoffs nine times in Seabrook's 13 seasons.
"I'm going to try and enjoy tomorrow night and the weekend as much as I can and whatnot," Seabrook said. "At the end of the day, we're not happy where we're at. This is the best time of the year. I think I've said it to you every year: The playoffs are always the [most fun] part of the season, and it [stinks] we're not going to be a part of it."
Defenseman Duncan Keith said it doesn't diminish Seabrook's feat.
"It's been a frustrating year," Keith said. "But at the end of the day, no matter when you get your 1,000th game, it's an impressive accomplishment. It's bittersweet in a sense that you're celebrating it at the end of a bad year but it is what it is."
Seabrook usually doesn't focus much on his individual accomplishments. For him, it's about what the Blackhawks have done and what they can still do.
"I think there is a lot more to accomplish," said Seabrook, who is signed through 2023-24. "I think we've got a group in here that can compete for a Stanley Cup. I honestly believe that. That's something we're all going to have a long summer thinking about. We got to come back next year ready and prepared and focused on getting into the playoffs first and foremost, get back to where we're supposed to be."
He's gotten here fast. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Seabrook (32 years, 343 days) will be the 10th-youngest defenseman to play his 1,000th NHL game. He's the youngest defenseman to do so since Luke Richardson (31 years, 312 days) with the Philadelphia Flyers on Feb. 1, 2001. Credit his durability; Seabrook has missed three games out of 401 because of injury or illness since the beginning of 2013-14.
"It's a great accomplishment, especially given his age," said Keith, a teammate of Seabrook since 2005-06 who has played 990 NHL games. "It shows his durability. You see a lot of guys that maybe play through an injury or something like that and he's played through a lot to get to those 1,000 games. You don't get that many without having a certain character about you, a certain drive and determination and discipline. But the biggest thing is just playing games, having the character to stay in the lineup when you're not feeling your best."
Seabrook was named alternate captain in September 2015 but was a leader long before that. He was captain for the Canada under-18 national team in 2002-03 and for Lethbridge of the Western Hockey League from 2002-05. Seabrook has never had a problem speaking up, such as when he gave captain Jonathan Toews a penalty-box pep talk during Game 4 of the 2013 Western Conference Semifinals against the Detroit Red Wings.
"I've just tried to be myself and do the things that I do," Seabrook said. "I've never tried to be a leader. You know, I'm a loud guy. I try to be funny. You can ask some of the guys if I'm funny or not, I don't know. Maybe annoying more than anything and just loud. There's lots of parts to being a leader. Whether it's talking to guys or getting them up before a game or leading by example on the ice, there's lots of ways you can lead."
Joel Quenneville, in his 10th season as Blackhawks coach, said Seabrook has always been the most vocal player in the dressing room.
"It's important to him that we're competitive and he can voice his opinion on that regard more than anything," Quenneville said. "It's been a good, healthy situation. We have strong leadership with a number of players, but [Seabrook] has been a real vocal guy."
