John Carlson on 1,000 Games ARLINGTON, V.A. — 26,487. That's how many times the Washington Capitals have sent John Carlson over the boards and onto the ice over what's been a monumental career. No Capital has skated more than No. 74 since he made his NHL debut on Nov. 20, 2009. He's logged a total of 23,569:26 minutes over 15 years at the highest level — eighth-most in the NHL over that span — while being deployed in every situation: power play, penalty kill, overtime, the final minutes of the 2018 Stanley Cup Final to secure D.C.'s first title, you name it. When asked about those numbers, he laughs nervously, noting he doesn't try to think too much about it. "I try to keep it that way," he grinned. That remains the case on a sunny Saturday in the District, which is business as usual for Carlson as he plays his 1,000th NHL game against the Boston Bruins. "When the coach calls, it's not really much of a thought process as a player," Carlson told The Hockey News. "We're all competitors, we all want to be on the ice, and we just go when our number's called." It's that consistency and can-do attitude that stands out to his teammates, especially when looking at his role as a No. 1 defenseman whose job is to shut down top guys, but also to lead the rush and provide offense for D.C. "His resiliency is absolutely phenomenal," T.J. Oshie said. "He's played huge minutes for a very long time. It's the way he plays the game and the players that he has to shut down every night; it's an extremely difficult job, and he seems to do it with ease and with never complaining. I've always respected his ability to do that." It's not just resilience that's paved the way for Carlson, though. The 6-3, 215-pound blueliner stressed that there are several factors that have gone into his durability, including the way he carries himself, the way he treats his body and, perhaps most importantly, the way he plays the game. "Everybody's different," Carlson told The Hockey News with regard to logging. a lot of minutes. "I think everybody's bodies handle things differently, and I try to be on top of things. I would think that prehab and all that kind of stuff, it helps a lot. You never want to get behind the eight ball. There's plenty of things that you can control and are up for a chance, whether you focus on it and work at it or not... whether that's warming up properly, whether that's stretching or getting treatment on certain things. The more you let stuff pile up, it adds up quickly. "It's just knowing your game, knowing your angles and putting yourself in a good position helps a lot, too," he added. When it comes to the lessons he's learned as he hits 1K, he credits no other than Mike Knuble. "I remember (him and his family) being around the rink all the time. He was always a super kind person, super nice, super open and friendly and talking to me," Carlson said. "I think that was probably who I looked to and how he went about his business and the success that he's had over his career." Of course, getting to 1,000 games wasn't always a guarantee. In fact, it was up in the air just over a year ago, when Carlson was struck in the head by former teammate Brenden Dillon's 90-mile-per-hour slap shot. The blow to the head sent a shockwave through Carlson's helmet, which cut into his head and fractured his skull while severing his temporal artery. "You don't know what's happening at the time," Carlson said. "Honestly, for me, I was just thinking that it was a pretty big cut and getting stitched up. It's not like they were telling me, 'Oh man, this is a bad artery here.'" "I peeked into the training room when they were trying to get everything in that situation under control, and it was super, super scary," Oshie recalled. "There's some injuries in hockey that can lead to some serious things, and that felt like one of them. And in those instances, hockey kind of goes out the door." At that moment, Carlson didn't have time to worry about what was next for his career, but he never worried about making his return. And that resilience that his teammates applaud him for shined through again as he was discharged from the hospital in time for Christmas. From there, it was a long road to recovery, but one he never faltered on as he balanced fatherhood and rehabilitation to overcome hurdles and get back on the ice. The incident also served as a stark reminder of just how vital Carlson is; without him, D.C. went 15-21-6 over three months, putting them out of the playoff race. "Going back to the team and seeing what it was like without 74 on the blue line, we're a different squad.... he's the backbone of our D corps, he has been for a very long time," Oshie said. "It was certainly a void both on the ice and off the ice. You could definitely feel that just because he does carry such a strong presence," Charlie Lindgren added. "We missed the minutes that he carried... when John Carlson is on the ice, we're a better hockey team." Since returning, Carlson hasn't missed a single shift. In 72 games this season, he has 45 points, including points in five of his last six overall, as Washington remains in the hunt for a playoff spot. "It puts you in a Hall of Famer class to me, when you've done that for as long as he has and now at the point he's at in his career, adding a layer of leadership... it's impressive to think of all the situations that he's played in and how long he's done it," head coach Spencer Carbery said. For Carlson, though, it's just the life he's known since joining the NHL ranks. "It's a give and take, I would like to gas myself every second of every shift," he remarked. "You know, I've had a lot of injuries, and I tend to lean on some guys and give some complains and relieve some of my stress, but he's one of those guys that just doesn't need to let people know that he's hurting," Oshie added. "He just keeps grinding through plenty of things... His mental toughness and physical toughness is something that probably doesn't get talked about, but I think is one of his best attributes." Off the ice, the 34-year-old has made his mark as a beloved member of the locker room, known for his sharp sense of humor and big personality. "He's a treat. He's someone that just is always the first guy to make a comment, he's a hilarious guy. He's the funniest guy on the team, and he's always got a witty comment," Lindgren said. "He's incredibly important. He's the guy that is a stabilizer on the backend. You know, when he's out there, I feel very good about what's going on in front of me, and I put a lot of trust in him. Obviously, a guy with a wealth of experience and a fantastic leader." "I love him as a teammate, I love him as a friend. He's one of my closest buddies in the world." When Carlson hits the ice on Saturday, he'll be joining an exclusive club as the first defenseman in franchise history to hit that mark. He's also only the 128th defenseman and 43rd active skater to hit that mark. "As an athlete, as a competitor, you're just kind of in the moment," Carlson said. Of course, you reflect.... here we are, it's pretty cool."
