Seattle Kraken's Jordan Eberle set to play 1,000th NHL game
NEWARK, NJ - FEBRUARY 12: Seattle Kraken right wing Jordan Eberle (7) chats with an official during a game between the Seattle Kraken and New Jersey Devils on February 12, 2024 at Prudential Center in the Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images / Getty Images)
SEATTLE - Fresh off signing a new two-year contract extension that keeps him with the Seattle Kraken through the 2025-26 season, winger Jordan Eberle is set to join a small fraternity of players to have played 1,000 games in the NHL.
Eberle, 33, will play in Game 1,000 of his career Tuesday night as the Kraken face the Vegas Golden Knights, both teams that did not exist when Eberle first reached the NHL in 2010.
"When you come into the league it's not something you think about," Eberle said on Monday. "You think about establishing yourself, you think about how to stay in the league (and) try to win, obviously. But I think as you get older and you start playing and the games start adding up, it's a number that people put a lot of emphasis on."
Fewer than 400 players have played 1,000 games in their careers. Mark Giordano – the original captain of the Kraken during their inaugural season – also crossed the 1,000th game mark during his time in Seattle. The NHL awards players that have reached the milestone with a silver stick as recognition of their achievements.
"I'm very honored and I've had a lot of good teammates," Eberle said. "I've had a lot of good coaching, I've had people from the start of my life support me to get to this spot. I don't think anyone who gets to the NHL level or plays this long doesn't have people to support them. My family. So I think for me, more than anything that's what it's about and I'm going to have a lot of family here coming to the game. They're the people that have supported me all the way through this."
Eberle has been an incredibly consistent performer throughout his 14-year NHL career. A former 22nd overall pick of the Edmonton Oilers in the 2008 NHL Draft, Eberle made his debut with Edmonton in the 2010-11 season. He's only scored more than 30 goals in a season once, when he had 34 goals for the Oilers in his second season in the league.
However, he's cracked the 20-goal mark in eight seasons, including both of his full years with Seattle. For his career, Eberle has 296 goals and 399 assists for 695 points in his 999 games played with the Oilers, New York Islanders and Kraken.
"That's why the mark of 1,000 games is why we celebrate like we do because of how challenging that is," head coach Dave Hakstol said.
In addition to his long-term consistency, Eberle also has had some pretty memorable moments throughout his career. The first goal he ever scored with Edmonton was a brilliant short-handed goal against the Calgary Flames. With the Islanders, Eberle scored the game-winning goal in double overtime to force a Game 6 in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning,
And Eberle has the single most memorable moment in Kraken playoff history as well. He scored the game-winning goal in overtime of Game 4 last season in Seattle's opening round series against the defending champion Colorado Avalanche en route to a series win.
"Amazing durability and productivity through his entire career," Hakstol said. "…He's well into his 200s in games here and he's very quickly become a staple in our lineup, a leader in our dressing room and a favorite of our fans."
Eberle was acquired by Seattle in the expansion draft in 2021 when the Islanders left him unprotected. Eberle has really settled in to calling Seattle home. He had been a long-time fan of the Seahawks even before coming to town with his offseason home outside of Calgary. While leaving an Islanders team that had made it to the East finals in two straight years was tough, Eberle really embraced the chance to start something different with the Kraken.
"It was neat to be part of a group from day one and the history starts with us," Eberle said. "It's been fun to be on that journey, making the playoffs last year, and hopefully we can continue that and continue to build it here."
Eberle has played in 220 games with Seattle over the last three seasons, scoring 55 goals with 89 assists and 144 points with the team. He's been a consistent piece on the Kraken's top line with Matty Beniers and Jared McCann the last two seasons.
However, there was a real chance that Eberle would be celebrating this milestone with a brand new team this week. If a new contract hadn't been reached, it had been reported by The Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli that Eberle would be traded ahead of Friday's deadline. Instead, Eberle signed a two-year extension with Seattle that will keep him with the team through the 2025-26 season.
"It crossed my mind," Eberle said. "It didn't really go into my decision at all (to re-sign). I think first and foremost my goal was to get a deal done here."
While the game Tuesday night is an important milestone for Eberle, it's also a critical game for the Kraken. If Seattle can't beat the Vegas Golden Knights – one of a few teams the Kraken are trying to run down for a playoff spot – the odds of finding a way into the playoffs grow much slimmer. Per MoneyPuck.com, Seattle's odds would go from 22.8 percent with a regulation win to just 9.4 percent with a regulation loss.
"You look at the standings, the importance of this game, the importance of every game really down the stretch for us," Eberle said. "I'll try and enjoy it as much as I can and take time to reflect after."
But even if the playoffs aren't in the cards for Seattle this season, Eberle is the exact type of player the Kraken hoped to build their franchise around. And 1,000 games is quite the achievement, though he believes he has many games left to play.
"I like to think I still have some years left," Eberle said. "But I'll take time to reflect and try to enjoy it as much as I can."