A Look Back at John Carlson’s 1000 NHL Games

John Carlson celebrated his 1000th NHL game on Saturday as the Capitals took on the Bruins at Capital One Arena in Washington. Carlson was surrounded by friends and family in warmups and pregame, and his children entered the locker room to read out the starting lineup. Additionally, Grammy-nominated singer Vanessa Carlton re-wrote her famous hit “A Thousand Miles” in honor of the defenseman, reworking the hook into ” ‘Cause you know he’ll hit 1,000 games if we just wait for tonight”. Capital One Arena was packed to the brim with fans in red and the Capitals put on a show for fans, including a goal from the man of honor himself. The game ended in a shootout, where Boston ultimately took home the win with a goal from former Capital Kevin Shattenkirk.

John Carlson’s goal put him in the record books, as he tied Kevin Hatcher for the most goals by a defenseman in franchise history. He is also only the 9th defenseman in NHL history to score in their 1000th game. Let’s take a look back at his record-setting and history-making career over the past 1000 games in the National Hockey League.

June 20th, 2008: Drafted by the Capitals

John Carlson has been a career-long Capital, as he was selected by the team in the first round of the 2008 NHL draft. The American defenseman was selected 27th overall after playing in the USHL for the Indiana Ice. Before reaching the national league, he also played for the OHL London Knights and the AHL Hershey Bears, Washington’s minor-league affiliate.

November 21st, 2009: Carlson Makes NHL Debut

John Carlson made his NHL debut with the Capitals in November 2009 against the Toronto Maple Leafs and volleyed back and forth between the Hershey Bears and the Capitals for a time before being officially recalled on January 21st, 2010. His first NHL goal came a few months later, on March 25th against the Carolina Hurricanes. Thus began his long and successful career in the Capitals organization.

2010 was a pivotal year in John Carlson’s career, as he marked multiple milestones in postseason play. Not only did he score his first playoff goal against the Montreal Canadiens, but Carlson also rejoined the Hershey Bears for their playoff run, where he ultimately scored the game and Calder Cup-winning goal in game six against the Texas Stars.

2017-2018: A Career-High Season

John Carlson played all 82 games of the 2017-2018 regular season, where he put up career-record numbers in both goals and assists, helping push the Capitals to their Stanley Cup playoff run of 2018. While Carlson only netted 15 goals that season, he came in clutch on the assist, notching 53 apples throughout the regular season. His 68 points made him the points leader among NHL defensemen that season, as well as the only Capitals defenseman since Mike Green to tally a 60-point season. Carlson etched his name into history forever as he helped the team win their first Stanley Cup in June of 2018. On June 24th, he signed an eight-year extension with the Capitals, securing him in Washington through 2026.

2019-Present Day: Records and Milestones

At the start of the 2019-2020 season, John Carlson was named an alternate captain for Washington following the retirement of Brooks Orpik. In December of 2019, the defenseman scored his 100th NHL goal against the Los Angeles Kings, helping him pass the 70-point mark for the second season in a row and once again lead all NHL defensemen in points with 75 in just 69 games. He was selected for the NHL All-Star Game in both 2019 and 2020 and has been named a finalist for the Norris Trophy. At 34, it does not appear that John Carlson will be slowing down anytime soon. He has accumulated 668 points (149g, 519a) during his 15 years of play. “It’s special to play in this league,” the defenseman said to the media postgame. “It’s special to play for one team – and a great team – and meeting lifelong friends and getting to battle … it’s been a heck of a run.”