The Capitals defenseman received a number of gifts from his teammates and the league.
WASHINGTON — The Washington Capitals went all out to honor John Carlson for hitting 1,000 NHL games, and on Sunday, 74 was just about everywhere as the team had some fun with the festivities.
First, his teammates arrived at Capital One Arena wearing custom t-shirts celebrating Carlson's milestone and featuring No. 74 on the front.
Washington then surprised Carlson with a rookie lap to open warmups, as he took the ice himself and skated some solo laps before going back for his teammates. Every Capital wore 74 in honor of Carlson during warmups, while each seat in the arena was covered with a "John Carlson 1,000 NHL Games" t-shirt.
Then, near the end of the pre-game skate, Carlson's three sons, Lucca, Rudy and Sawyer, got to take the ice with him and get some practice in.
After warmups and before the game, Washington paid tribute to Carlson for his milestone with a video, tributes from several current and former teammates, including Karl Alzner and Braden Holtby, and an on-ice ceremony with his family.
Carlson received a number of gifts, including a commemorative Tiffany crystal from the league, a silver stick commemorating 1,000 NHL games from the organization and silver mini-sticks for his children, a custom painting by Brian Chudy on top of his signature CCM sticks, a custom 74 putter and a golfing trip to Ireland.
The 34-year-old blueliner reached the 1,000-game mark back on March 30. Carlson scored in that game to help earn his team a critical point.
"I can't say enough good things about John Carlson," goaltender Charlie Lindgren said.