DENVER — Brent Burns has built a career on durability, but what he’s doing now borders on absurd.

At 41, the Colorado Avalanche defenseman is on the verge of a milestone that feels almost untouchable in today’s NHL — his 1,000th consecutive regular-season game, set to come Saturday in Dallas. For a player who thrives in traffic, absorbs punishment, and dishes it right back, the streak isn’t just impressive — it’s staggering.

And it all traces back to a painful moment more than a decade ago.

In October 2013, while playing for San Jose, Burns took a stray stick to the face — an incident that cost him teeth and time. When he returned on Nov. 21, 2013, he stepped right back into the lineup, scored that night, and hasn’t missed a game since.

That stretch — nearly 12 years of uninterrupted hockey — has left even his current coach shaking his head.

“He plays through them like it’s not a big deal,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “(The streak) is an incredible accomplishment. It’s hard to believe.”

The Stanley Cup-winning coach was referring to the kinds of injuries Burns has endured throughout his career — the type that would typically sideline most players for weeks, if not months.

Burns, who turned 41 on March 9, signed a one-year deal with Colorado this season chasing the one prize missing from his résumé — a Stanley Cup. Instead of fading into a limited role, he’s become exactly what the Avalanche hoped for: a steady veteran presence who can still produce.

He’s tallied 11 goals this season, joining Hall of Famer Nicklas Lidstrom as the only defensemen in NHL history to score at least 10 times in a season at age 40 or older. He’s also logging nearly 19 minutes a night, blocking shots, throwing hits, and anchoring shifts alongside a roster loaded with stars like Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Martin Necas.

But it’s how he plays — not just that he plays — that makes the streak so remarkable.

At 6-foot-5 and 228 pounds, Burns doesn’t avoid contact. He seeks it out. Every shift comes with the kind of wear and tear that sidelines most players multiple times a season, which makes his uninterrupted run even more difficult to comprehend.

“It’s the same guy that we’ve been watching for a decade-plus, doing the exact thing,” Bednar said. “To have guys with these ironman streaks get to a certain point ... that’s an unbelievable career and accomplishment just to get that as a player total, never mind in a row.”

The only streak ahead of him belongs to Phil Kessel, who played 1,064 straight games between 2009 and 2023 — a mark Burns is now within striking distance of if he keeps going.

Inside the Avalanche room, the respect for what Burns is doing runs deep — especially from captain Gabriel Landeskog, who understands the opposite side of the equation.

After helping Colorado win the Stanley Cup in 2022, Landeskog missed three full seasons dealing with a lingering knee injury. Watching Burns show up night after night hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“He comes to the rink with a great attitude,” Landeskog said. “He wants to be here. He’s excited to come to work.”

Burns’ routine has become something of a legend in itself. He lugs around a massive, military-style backpack packed with who-knows-what — recovery tools, coffee gear, or maybe both. Whatever’s inside, it’s clearly working.

He’s now in his 22nd NHL season, approaching his 1,572nd career game, and still contributing at a high level with 83 blocked shots and counting.

Even teammates can’t quite wrap their heads around it.

“In my position alone, you’ll do something one game and your hip locks up a little bit,” goaltender Scott Wedgewood said. “It’s like, ‘Thank God, I’m not playing the next one. It feels like crap right now.’

“That happens 15 times a year, just on me, let alone taking body checks and slap shots. Playing as much as he does now at that age, keeping that body fresh and everything? He probably wouldn’t be the one to tell you, but he’s probably played through thousands of different nuances.”

Burns’ path to this moment has spanned two decades and four organizations. Drafted in the first round by Minnesota, he debuted in 2003 and spent seven seasons with the Wild before becoming a cornerstone in San Jose for 11 years. He later added three seasons in Carolina before landing in Colorado.

His only trip to the Stanley Cup Final came in 2016 with the Sharks, where they fell to Pittsburgh in six games. He’s appeared in 135 playoff contests, but the championship ring has remained just out of reach.

Now, with the Avalanche sitting atop the standings and pushing toward the postseason, Burns finds himself in a familiar role — logging big minutes, making an impact, and, quietly, continuing a streak that has become one of the most remarkable in league history.

“It’s just ridiculous,” Makar said. “For him to be able to go out there every night and make an impact, and not just float around and do the minimum, is pretty spectacular, especially at his age.”