SAN JOSE, Calif. - Zdeno Chara broke the NHL record for games by a defenseman Thursday night.
The seven-time All-Star was on the ice for the New York Islanders for the opening faceoff against San Jose for his 1,652nd regular-season game. He broke the mark set by Hall of Famer Chris Chelios.
"I would like to start by thanking Chris Chelios," Chara said after New York's 4-3 shootout loss. "He set such a high standard for many of us. It's been very inspiring and a huge motivation. I want to thank him for that. .