Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Associated Press
ANAHEIM, Calif. - Karlis Skrastins of the Colorado Avalanche had his NHL-record consecutive-games streak among defensemen snapped Sunday night at 495 when he sat out against Anaheim because of a knee injury.
Skrastins, who broke Tim Horton's mark of 486 on Feb. 8 against Atlanta, was hurt during Saturday night's 5-4 shootout loss to the Los Angeles Kings.
The 32-year-old defenseman hadn't missed a game since Feb. 18, 2000, when he was with the Nashville Predators, and his run started three days later against Dallas. His streak was not easy to achieve, considering he was second in the NHL in blocked shots last season (207) and third this season (174).
"I knew sooner or later it was going to end. Nothing lasts forever," Skrastins said after Colorado's 5-3 loss to the Ducks. "But I was happy with the streak. There were some good memories for me."
Skrastins played in the final 23 games of the 1999-00 season, all 82 in each of the next five and the first 62 games in 2006-07.
Vancouver's Brendan Morrison now holds the league's longest current streak for any position at 492 games. The longest overall playing streak in NHL history is 964 by Doug Jarvis.
Horton set the mark for defensemen while playing for Toronto from 1961-68.