TORONTO — Patrick Marleau quickly responded to Mike Babcock’s comment Friday morning that he wants to break Gordie Howe’s all-time NHL record for games played, saying on social media that owning the mark now held by the legendary former player is not his goal.
“A great teammate everywhere he’s been,” Babcock said of Marleau, who played for the Maple Leafs from 2017-2019 before he was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes in June. “His goal is to break Gordie’s record. I wish him luck with that.”
Marleau, even though he is fifth all-time in games played and getting closer to breaking Howe’s record, has never stated that publicly.