When Brenden Dillon was handed a photo of his younger self on Monday morning after his team's morning skate, something happened. It was a moment. A moment of genuine authenticity and emotion that doesn't often occur in a world filled with cliches and robotic responses.
In the quiet of a near-empty locker room, surrounded by a small crowd of New Jersey Devils reporters, tears started to form in the eyes of the towering 6-foot-4 defenseman.
"I just wanted to get one (game)," Dillon said through immense emotion. "I am just happy, excited, so thankful to play in the best league in the world."
Hours later, inside Prudential Center, Dillon joined an exclusive club. He became the 69th undrafted player all-time who's played in 1,000 career NHL games. From undrafted and beginning his career with the Dallas Stars, the next 14 seasons sent him all over North America, as he played for the San Jose Sharks, Washington Capitals, and Winnipeg Jets before arriving in New Jersey.
"It will be nice to sit back and reflect on the people that have helped me along the way," Dillon said. "We would be here all day if I listed every name from minor hockey, growing up in Surrey, going away to junior hockey, and moving away from your parents, your family, the billet family you live with, the coaches in pro when I got there, every step and every level there are so many people that make this (happen).
"And there's fortunate things too," he continued. "I have been so lucky and fortunate. The biggest thing I tell all kids is don't ever take a day for granted. I love coming to the rink. Guys have been so amazing everywhere I have played. I have had just as much fun hooting and hollering and practicing, the grind of the travel, and getting in late. I wouldn't change it for anything. I love being a hockey player every day."
At 4:10 p.m., the 35-year-old walked back through the doors of Prudential Center for his milestone moment and game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Dressed to the nines, with his outfit topped off by a stylish hat, and a smile that lit up the halls of the arena, he immediately greeted the security guards with a handshake and hug. While it is a small gesture, it speaks to the human being that is Brenden Dillon.
For warmups, every Devil on the ice sported a Dillon jersey with the No. 5 on the back and "1K" on the sleeves. Additionally, the players swapped their helmets for the "1,000 Dilly" hats.
Dillon was in the Devils starting lineup against the Blue Jackets, paired with Dennis Cholowski. He saw his team take an early lead with two goals within the first three minutes of play.
Minutes later, the defenseman's milestone was acknowledged on the Jumbotron. As Dillon saluted the crowd, Prudential Center's in-arena DJ, TJ Roche, played I'm Still Standing by Elton John.
The significance?
Ahead of Dillon reaching 900 games in October 2024, The Hockey News asked him: if he could pick one song to describe his hockey journey, what would it be? His response? I'm Still Standing, saying, "I'm still alive, feeling like a little kid. That's me. A lot of people have doubted me from a young age, and I am continuing to prove them wrong."
Early in the second period, everything changed.
Dillon fought Blue Jackets forward Dmitri Voronkov, though the fight didn't last long, as Dillon quickly went to the ice face-first. He stayed down and needed assistance to reach the bench and then down the tunnel. After passing the required medical tests, the veteran briefly returned and completed the second period. The decision was made to keep him off the ice for the final period for precautionary reasons.
"Dillon is doing well," head coach Sheldon Keefe said after the game. "It was all precautionary. We made the decision to not play him anymore.
"All I know is there's no more honorable player in this League than Brenden Dillon," Keefe continued. "He plays as hard and honest a game as anybody in the League. He would never do something like that to another player, that I know for certain. I don't like it at all. I don't think Dillon knows he was in a fight. He's tackled from behind, and before he knows it, his helmet's off, his jersey is over his head. We saw what happened from there. I don't like it at all."
After that incident, the rails came off for the Devils, and eventually suffered a 5-3 loss, marking their second consecutive loss at home.
"I don't like how we handled those situations emotionally," Keefe said. "Not long after the situation with Dillon, they score. So, I don't like that. We have to do a better job of staying in it, as hard as it is. And quite frankly, it was quite hard to see that. [..] I wish we could handle it better because we have to play a hockey game, but there is a human side to all of this at the same time."
"(Dillon) is a massive part of this team, and holds a lot of respect between all of us," Paul Cotter said after the game. "Obviously, if anything happens to him, we are all ready to do something."
There is no doubt that it was an emotional game for the Devils, and while the final score and incident with Dillon will overcome the headlines, it is worth remembering what the night was about: the story of a young boy from New Westminster who had to figure out how to make his dreams of becoming a professional hockey player a reality.
"I was never the best kid on any teams I played on," he said. "I was never the biggest or fastest. I just found a way to affect the games. We all wanted to be Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes running power plays. But I had to figure out what was going to be my path if I wanted to make it to the next level.
"I couldn't imagine myself doing anything but being a hockey player. I just wasn't going to stop or be denied."
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