Bouwmeester sets record for consecutive games played

As you may have gathered by the headline, Calgary Flames defensman Jay Bouwmeester has done something pretty damn impressive. Specifically, he is now the NHL record holder for most consecutive games played by a defensman.

After Tuesday night’s game, Mr. Reliable has now played in an incredible 496 straight games.

“There’s nothing really magical to it,” Bouwmeester says. “Have some luck on your side and try and be smart out there.”

The 27-year-old hasn’t missed a game since 2004, when he had a busted foot.

“The bottom line is, if you can play, you’re going to play, and you hope that something doesn’t happen,” he said. “Things do happen, so it’s probably not going to last forever.”

The previous record holder was Dallas Stars blue liner Karlis Skrastins, who had – you guessed it – 495 consecutive games.