Zdeno Chara broke the NHL record for games by a defenceman on February 24, 2022.

The seven-time All-Star was on the ice 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. ΓǪ I'm very lucky that I get to still play this game.”