Skinner’s Thousand? Rewriting history! The perfect teammate, the cabin was smooth

The Buffalo Sabers celebrated Jeff Skinner’s 1,000th game in the right spirit. His teammates bought him a jet ski and donned red caps, Skinner’s favorite piece of clothing. His family joined him on the ice for photos and an emotional moment with General Manager Kevyn Adams presenting him with a silver hockey stick.

However, as Skinner approached that milestone, he actually became aware of the fact that he had never played a playoff game. Indeed, he is the first player in NHL history to reach 1,000 regular season games without appearing in the playoffs.

But he also rewrote history in another respect. Having entered the league at 18 and played every season since, he’s hitting the millennium mark at a younger age than most. Only ten players have reached this milestone at a younger age than him.

But Skinner, who turns 32 next month, is beginning to realize how many opportunities he’s missed. “As one progresses, one realizes how time works,” Skinner said.

The fact that Skinner didn’t play in the playoffs is as much a result of unfortunate timing as anything else. Skinner played the first eight seasons of his career with the Carolina Hurricanes when the Canes were at the bottom of the league.

The Sabers reacquired him in 2018, halfway through their record 12-year playoff drought. The Hurricanes have made the playoffs in every year since that trade. “It just is,” he shrugged.

Even so, he is a stable NHL player who has made a significant impact in the last years of the league. 357 goals and 312 assists are clear evidence.

“He’s been here the whole time I’ve been here,” continued Rasmus Dahlin. “The first year he never made me pay for dinner. He took me and Casey Mittelstadt under his wing and helped us with a lot of things. Every year he’s an excellent professional who takes care of himself and is a really good person to the cabin. He always brings a smile on our lips. So he’s the perfect teammate. I have a lot to thank him for.”

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