Jarvis 'fortunate' to set NHL ironman mark, excited Yandle is passing him

Doug Jarvis
will be phoning Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Keith Yandle. But like a teammate talking late in a game to a goalie who's working on a shutout, or a pitcher in the late innings of a no-hitter, he'll do it only when it's time.

On Monday at home in a 3-1 loss to the Dallas Stars, Yandle played in his 964th consecutive NHL game, tying the ironman streak that Jarvis has held since Dec. 26, 1986, when he played in his 915th consecutive game, passing the mark held by Garry Unger. On Tuesday at the New York Islanders, Yandle is expected to play No. 965 for sole possession of the record.
"I have Keith's number," Jarvis said Monday from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where he's visiting children and grandchildren. "I'll probably watch [the game Monday], and again tomorrow. And I'll get in touch with him at that point. I want to congratulate him on the streak.
"It takes a lot of character and it takes a real love for the game and I want to just commend Keith on all of those things. When I reflect back on this, I'm really excited for him. I'm really happy that this mark is going to be passed because, for me, it means a player's been able to play and stay healthy through his career and I wish that for every player. We know that a lot of life is lived after a playing career and it's great when you can enjoy your career and be healthy through it."
Jarvis' ironman streak of 964 ran from his first NHL game with the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 8, 1975 through his final game, with the Hartford Whalers. After passing Unger, he added 50 more games before he was a healthy scratch for the Whalers on Oct. 11, 1987, retiring to a coaching career in the minor pros and the NHL. For the past four years, Jarvis has been senior adviser to hockey operations of the Vancouver Canucks, working from his home in the Kingston, Ontario area.

Doug Jarvis with his parents, Richard and Millie, and his wife, Linda, celebrated by the Hartford Whalers on Dec. 26, 1986 upon becoming the NHL's ironman for consecutive games played.
"People have forever said that my record is one that wouldn't be broken, but to be honest I've always thought, 'Why won't it be?'" Jarvis said. "I played the game that I loved, one game at a time. Before I knew it they had all added up to Garry's number of 914. It just kind of happened. It's one of those marks that you can't set out to break, right? There are just so many things out of your control that can have an effect on it."
Jarvis played 560 games at center for the Canadiens from 1975-82, his next 265 with the Washington Capitals from 1982-85, then 139 with the Whalers from 1985-87 to end his career, having been traded to Hartford on Dec. 6, 1985.
"I had a sense at training camp in 1987 that the game was getting quicker on myself," said the 66-year-old native of Brantford, Ontario. "I was disappointed that my playing career ended, but it gave me the opportunity to coach the Whalers farm team in Binghamton, with 26 years in coaching to come. For every exit, there's a door that opens."

St. Louis Blues' Garry Unger (r.), whose record of 914 consecutive games played was broken in 1986 by Doug Jarvis.
Jarvis won the Stanley Cup four times with the Canadiens, his most special hockey memories coming as a member of their 1976-79 dynasty; the 1983-84 Selke Trophy with the Capitals voted as the best defensive forward in the NHL; and the 1986-87 Bill Masterton Trophy with the Whalers for perseverance and dedication to hockey.
He passed Unger for the top spot playing for the Whalers in a 1-1 tie against the Canadiens in Hartford. It was "ironic, kind of nice," he said, that the milestone came against his first NHL team, having been feted pregame with an award that featured Canadiens, Whalers and Capitals pucks and a giant 915 above a plaque celebrating the event.
His streak would continue with No. 916 the following night back in Montreal, where he received a standing ovation from Canadiens fans.
Speaking on behalf of the Canadiens in Hartford was captain Bob Gainey, Jarvis' linemate with Jimmy Roberts in the record-breaker's first NHL game, a 9-0 win against the Los Angeles Kings at the Montreal Forum. Gainey and Jarvis had been junior hockey teammates with Peterborough of the Ontario Hockey Association in 1972-73, then played seven seasons together with the Canadiens, from 1975-82.

Doug Jarvis in action with the Washington Capitals during the mid-1980s and with the Montreal Canadiens during the mid-1970s.
"Bob and I have been great friends since our days in Peterborough, through our years in Montreal, then coaching with him in Minnesota and Dallas," said Jarvis, an assistant coach for the 1999 Stanley Cup champion Dallas Stars.
Jarvis had two assists in his NHL debut, each on goals by Roberts, scoring his first goal against the Detroit Red Wings on Nov. 8, the shorthanded game-winner, assisted by Roberts, in a 5-0 victory at Montreal Forum. In his 964 games, a defensive specialist throughout, he scored 403 points (139 goals, 264 assists).
"A defensive player derives special satisfaction from wins, especially if he's done his job," Jarvis said upon passing Unger. "Recognition comes from within the team. They know, and that's all you need. …
"I've been fortunate. I like to be prepared for each game. I don't know if personality comes into it. I've played sometimes when I wasn't comfortable, but so have a lot of other guys."

Doug Jarvis skates in the Hockey Hall of Fame Legends Classic in 2008.
Reflecting today, Jarvis speaks of the discomfort that every player endures in a physical game, shrugging off all but the worst of it.
"I think everybody plays with the normal bumps and bruises," he said. "Everybody plays through those things, that's the nature of the game. You just keep going."
As Jarvis claimed an ironman record he would hold for more than 34 years, fellow players lauded the perseverance of a forward who played the game much larger than his 5-foot-9, 170 pounds.
"He's not a hashmark-to-hashmark player," Whalers goalie Mike Liut said of Jarvis upon his 915th game. "He's not coasting out there, he's involved all over the ice."

Doug Jarvis (r.) skates with former Canadiens teammate Guy Lafleur at Bell Centre during the team's Dec. 4, 2009 Centennial game festivities.
Gordie Howe, who finished his 1,767-game NHL career with Hartford in 1979-80, just shook his head.
"It's an unbelievable record," Mr. Hockey said. "I can't believe the guy went that long without catching a cold."
Said Whalers coach Jack Evans, who would scratch Jarvis to end his streak: "It's like never missing a day of school or a working day in your life. It will be very difficult to break."
Whalers captain Ron Francis said that Jarvis "never gave in, to an injury or the flu. It's not like he accomplished this feat cheap. He's played hard every game. He's never been taped up to play one shift and keep the thing going."

Assistant coach Doug Jarvis behind the Vancouver Canucks bench in 2017.
Dave Tippett, a fellow Whalers player, said that Jarvis "has given so much to the game of hockey, I'm happy the game can give something like the record book back to him."
And then, considering that Jarvis' milestone game was scheduled the day after Christmas, Tippett joked, "We told him not to cut himself carving the turkey."
Jarvis survived the bird, and much else. He says today that he's happy to see his "untouchable" record fall, a tribute to Yandle reporting for work night after night.
"I loved playing the game from the day I began and I'm sure Keith feels the same way," he said. "I'm looking forward to congratulating him on a job well done."
Photos: Getty Images; Hockey Hall of Fame