In the 102-year history of the National Hockey League, 348 individuals have played 1,000 or more regular season games. 44 of them, or 12.6%, have played some part of their career with the Atlanta or Calgary Flames. We call these players Long-Timers.
Let’s take a look at Don Lever.
Originally from the amazingly-named town of South Porcupine, Ontario, Lever came up through the Ontario junior ranks with the Niagara Falls Flyers. He was the third overall pick, by Vancouver, in the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft.
He went pro the next season as a 20-year-old and rose up the ranks there.