It was another emotional night for Saskatchewan product Patrick Marleau last week as he suited up in perhaps his last NHL game.

The veteran forward logged 13:01 of time-on-ice last Wednesday evening for the San Jose Sharks as their season came to a close with a 6-0 loss at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights.

 

Before the game, the Aneroid native was gifted the hockey stick Gordie Howe used in his final NHL game by the National Hockey League Players' Association on behalf of the Howe family. The stick was on display in Toronto at the notorious Hockey Hall of Fame and will be replaced by Marleau's stick from April 19 when he officially surpassed Howe's games played record.

That wasn't the only gift the 6-foot-2 centreman landed last Wednesday night either as his Sharks teammates presented him a custom painting designed by Lucasfilm and Disney Master Artist Kevin-John of Marleau and Mr. Hockey.

Marleau dressed in all 56 games this year for San Jose pushing his ironman streak of consecutive games to 910. That number is only 54 games shy of Doug Jarvis' record for the most in NHL history at 964.

"It'd be amazing to see him break the next record, which is the Iron Man because he's done a heck of a job of smashing records this year," Sharks coach Bob Boughner said.

The former Swift Current Legionnaire will become an unrestricted free agent at year's end and according to him hasn't spoken with Sharks General Manager Doug Wilson about returning for a 24th NHL season.

"I feel I still have a lot to give, a lot more than what happened this year for myself personally, points-wise," the 41-year-old said. "It was a tough, tough season, with everything, with COVID. I was not happy with my play or with the results I got this year. There were some pretty sleepless nights with that, but I'm looking forward to a rebound season next year."