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 Roman Hamrlik.
Hamrlik’s pro hockey journey began as a teenager in a country that no longer exists. He was an excellent teen in scenic Czechoslovakia. He was the first overall pick in the 1992 NHL Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
He jumped right into the NHL as a fresh-faced 18-year-old and played five pretty good seasons with the Lightning.