On Tuesday night, Jeff Skinner of the Buffalo Sabres was honored for playing in his 1,000th NHL game. After debuting with the Carolina Hurricanes on Oct. 7, 2010, he became the seventh-fastest player in league history to achieve the milestone, behind names like Anze Kopitar, Patrick Marleau, and Dale Hawerchuk.
At 31, Skinner becomes the 393rd player to skate in 1,000 games, the latest NHLer to do so after Jordan Eberle, Brad Marchand, James van Riemsdyk, John Carlson, and Marc-Andre Fleury all reached the milestone earlier this season.
Since debuting as an 18-year-old in 2010-11, Skinner has played 82 games on four occasions, scoring a career-high 82 points in 2022-23, with 35 goals and 47 assists. Since joining the Sabres in a trade in 2018, he’s compiled 290 points with 153 goals and 137 assists, including three hat tricks.
Related: Sabres’ Jeff Skinner Set for 1,000th Career Game
During his first season in Buffalo, he scored 40 goals and has played a significant role in the team’s rebuilding plans, including mentoring first-overall picks Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power.
As the seventh overall pick from the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Skinner played eight seasons with the Hurricanes and had three 30-goal campaigns. He finished his tenure with the club, scoring 379 points in 579 games, thanks to 204 goals and 175 assists, winning the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year and was named to the All-Rookie Team.
