As far as fan favourites go, he’s hardly on the radar. In the Flames locker room, though, it would be hard to find another who comes close.
And that’s arguably the biggest reason Matt Stajan, he of fourth line status and a contract constantly critiqued by so many outside the inner circle, is set to reach a milestone achieved by only 316 other NHLers before him.
Not that Stajan has been eager to talk about playing his 1,000th regular season contest in the best hockey league in the world. If there was wood to be knocked on in the WinSport hallway after a recent practice, the superstitious 34-year-old would have found it.