CHICAGO — The Kraken had just finished their eighth consecutive victory and seventh straight on the road, an 8-5 victory against the Blackhawks. It coincided with winger Jordan Eberle’s 900th NHL game.
“Nine hundred more, buddy,” a happy teammate sang at him as he headed back into the locker room.
“Yeah, 900 more,” Eberle replied.
The chances are slim as can be — the San Jose Sharks’ Patrick Marleau passed the legendary Gordie Howe on the NHL’s career games-played list when he played in his 1,768th on April 19, 2021. Marleau retired at 1,779, still shy of that double 900.
For now, though …
“I just still love the game. Love playing,” Eberle said. “Especially on a team like this where we’re on a little bit of a roll, the position we’re in — that’s what makes the game fun.”
Eberle was the Oilers’ 22nd overall draft choice in 2008. He became the seventh skater from his draft class to appear in at least 900 NHL games.
He spent seven seasons in Edmonton, then four more with the New York Islanders before joining the Kraken. He’s amassed 272 goals and 358 assists, including one Saturday in that milestone game.
“I played with him in Edmonton too,” defenseman Adam Larsson said. “(I’ve) seen how he elevated his game since then, ‘til now. I think he’s grown a lot.”
The focus is on the record-setting success — the Kraken became the first to sweep a road trip of seven or more games with the victory Saturday over the Blackhawks. But that proud feat came with strings, and Eberle, 32, sounded ready to get home.
“This road trip alone, we’ve been gone for two weeks. I have two kids. It’s not easy,” he said. “They’ve made a ton of sacrifices to where we are. Not only them — my parents, my coaches. There’s a lot of people you can name.”
It took a village and still does. In however many more games there are, Eberle is sharing what he’s picked up along the way.
“He’s been around for a while, a lot of experience. You can just tell how the younger guys soak up his knowledge,” fellow forward Alex Wennberg said. “He’s a great teammate overall.”
Schwartz misses game
Winger Jaden Schwartz did not play against the Blackhawks and was described as day-to-day by coach Dave Hakstol with no further elaboration. Hakstol called him a “game-time decision” after the morning skate, which Schwartz did not take part in.
Schwartz appeared in only 37 of 82 Kraken games last season due to a hand injury and then an unspecified upper-body injury that ended his season early. But he has missed just two through 42 games in 2022-23. He has 10 goals and 13 assists this season in 40 appearances, matching his point total of last season.
Ryan Donato took Schwartz’s place with Wennberg and Jared McCann and the line thrived, with McCann scoring his first career hat trick. Eberle had the only other three-goal game in franchise history on Nov. 4, 2021.