There become no shortage of milestones for the Kings all through the 1998-99 season. That season, 4 Los Angeles gamers reached 1,000 games, marking the first time in NHL records that 4 players from the same time accomplished the feat. Defenseman Doug Bodger becomes the first via the gate on October 25, 1998, with Garry Galley, Russ Courtnall, and Ray Ferraro all attaining the benchmark in February 1999. Twenty years later, all four pondered on what it was supposed to play their landmark recreation and how specific it becomes that they all carried out it within the equal season on the equal crew. For all the players, gambling in 1,000 NHL video games became something they might most effectively dream of.
Doug Bodger: It was something that you absolutely hope you’ll get to. However, you are by no means sure you would get to it. As the video games piled up, you realized it is a fact, but not lots of fellows get to do this, so it is a huge accomplishment. I by no means notion I’d make it, however as it was given nearer, I thought I’m going to make it. Barely, however, I made it. Bodger, but wasn’t the simplest one celebrating a milestone that night.
DB: It became Manny Lagace’s first game, and he won, so I had to supply him the percent. I just said I’ll discover any other one. Russ Courtnall: For a kid from Victoria, it changed into high-quality. To play 1,000 games. I by no means dreamt of it. Reaching the milestone even more special for Russ was that his brother, Geoff, had already carried out the feat. RC: Most exciting thing for myself and my own family has been that my brother Geoff and I were the primary brothers to play 1,000 video games every within the NHL. That’s a first-rate trivialities query. Although it became thrilling, it created a few delivered strains for Courtnall.
RC: Twenty video games before my 1,000th, the media commenced talking approximately how Geoff and I were going to be the first two brothers to make it to 1,000, and it simply started affecting me. Larry Robinson stated, ‘what the hell is wrong with you? You’ve not gambled the manner you’ve got been gambling.’ I said, ‘get me to at least one,000 and I’ll be exceptional.’ I broke my ankle and got here returned and got to 1,000.
Garry Galley: The 1,000th sport is a surreal moment. When you start gambling, all you ever need to do is play one recreation. You want to be in the National Hockey League. You simply need to play in that one game to say all of your hard work has paid off, so you by no means, in reality, think about that 1,000th sport. It still is to at present; I’m definitely simply first-rate proud that Geoff and I did that. Making the game even greater considerable for Galley, who was returned for his 2d excursion of duty with the Kings, turned into that it changed into in opposition to the Flyers in Philadelphia, where he spent an essential stretch of his profession.
GG: Felt like my recreation came full circle in Philadelphia. That’s where I had my excellent personal years and put up some simply suitable numbers and was playing pretty a chunk. So I honestly felt that changed into a nice place to play my 1,000th recreation for certain. To be capable of play my 1,000th for Los Angeles turned into very unique. I performed my first sport on the Forum. For Ray Ferraro, who struggled with knee injuries and staying inside the lineup for the first half of the season, accomplishing the milestone intended even extra to him. Ray Ferraro: I was usually pleased with my ability to be durable and live inside the lineup and bring. And then I went via a time in LA in which I became just getting racked with knee harm after knee harm, and I could not live within the lineup. To get to the 1,000 video games, you may see it on the horizon, and you comprehend it’s a large number. It did imply a lot to me. I desired to get there.
Reaching the 1,000-sport mark indicates a participant’s persistence and perseverance, but it is also a testament to the assist they have got had over time. GG: It means a lot to you for some of the reasons. Number one, in your own family and the folks that assist you and for all your teammates you’ve had over the time that helped you alongside the manner. It was an important 1,000 game, not just for me. I met my wife in high college, and they went thru all of the united states of America and downs, so it became 1,000 video games for the family. It takes a village, so for all of the folks that helped me, that 1,000th game becomes a illustration of that. I wouldn’t have been there without the important humans in my life.
RC: They supplied me with a stunning gold watch that the players offered. To mark their accomplishments, the Kings gave each player and their own family a experience in Hawaii, even as the gamers all contributed to shop for every one of them a gift. According to Courtnall, captain Rob Blake gave each of them a choice for what they desired to get. I wanted something I could hand right down to my son that intended something. Reaching the 1,000-game mark indicates a player’s patience and perseverance, but it’s also a testimony to the help they have got had over time.
GG: It manner lots to you for several reasons. Number one, for your own family and the those who guide you and for all of your teammates you have had through the years that helped you alongside the manner. It turned into a crucial 1,000 recreation now, not just for me. I met my wife in high college, and they went thru all of the u.S.And downs, so it was 1,000 games for the own family. It takes a village, so for all the folks who helped me, that 1,000th recreation turned into a illustration of that. I would not be there without the essential human beings in my life.
To mark their accomplishments, the Kings gave every participant and their family a journey to Hawaii, whilst the players all contributed to buy each of them a present. According to Courtnall, captain Rob Blake gave each of them a preference for what they desired to get. RC: They supplied me with a lovely gold watch that the players offered. I desired something I ought to hand right down to my son that intended something. DB: They never gave me an alternative [laughs]. They gave me a few Sea-Doos, which changed into top-notch. I think Russ and Luc have been behind that frequently and, in all likelihood, Blakey. Instead of a Rolex, I have a Timex, which continues the equal time, so it doesn’t honestly matter. The Sea-Doos have been pretty amusing, and my children had a blast with them for quite some years.
Regardless of what they obtained, they all liked the sentiment and generosity from the locker room. GG: No one blinks; no person says a word. Everybody chips in. That’s what made it unique. And of a path, the distinctiveness of the state of affairs wasn’t lost at the gamers. RC: We each installed a hard and fast sum of money, and it became a form of humorous due to the fact the younger guys have been like, ‘any other $500?’ Four inside the equal year! RF: It turned into bizarre due to the fact a couple of the men had got there, and we were all chipping in for gifts. It turned into pretty funny. They do not get to the 1,000 games for a maximum of the men, so there is no payback down the road. It turned into a type of odd situation definitely.
When NHL gamers reach the 1,000-recreation mark, they may be presented with a silver stick. However, that wasn’t continually the case lower back then. Ferraro doesn’t don’t forget every person receiving a silver stick in 1998-99, but he controlled to get his hands on one recently. RF: A pal of mine, Steve Matthes, was given in touch with the Kings and said ‘do you understand that Ray doesn’t have a silver stick?’ And they did not realize, so the Kings stepped up and contacted the man who does the sticks. So remaining yr, I got the 1,000 game stick, which became quite cool.
While they each have one-of-a-kind memories in their 1,000th recreation, what’s identical throughout the board is how unique the fulfillment still is to them, even two a long time later. Although it seemed as though the Kings’ 4 gamers achieving the milestone within the identical season could have stood the check of the time, simply 10 years later, the Anaheim Ducks matched the feat. During the 2008-09 campaign, Bret Hedican, Chris Pronger, Rob Niedermayer, and Todd Marchant all reached the 1,000-game mark. The Kings may additionally have some company. However, they have been the primary. To date, no NHL team has had five players reach the milestone inside the same season.