After 737 games, the longest ironman streak in North American professional sports came to an end on Sunday afternoon, as Jay Bouwmeester was not in the lineup for the St. Louis Blues.
The last time Jay Bouwmeester missed a game, soccer superstar Lionel Messi had just played his first contest, Steve Bartman was still fresh in the minds of the Chicago Cubs and their fans, and neither Anchorman nor Napoleon Dynamite had hit theatres.
Now, 737 games later, Bouwmeester’s streak is coming to an end. It was the longest streak in North American pro sports.
As Bouwmeester’s St. Louis Blues prepared to take on the Winnipeg Jets in Manitoba’s capital, the 31-year-old defenseman had been seen getting treatment for a lower body injury he suffered on Saturday afternoon in Ottawa, according to Fox Sports Midwest’s Andy Strickland.
The injury to Bouwmeester occurred rather innocuously, as he left the ice late in the third period and did not return.
Split between the Florida Panthers, Calgary Flames, and, currently, the St. Louis Blues, Bouwmeester has tallied 342 points since the ironman streak began, consisting of 77 goals and 265 assists.
The new NHL ironman is Andrew Cogliano, who has appeared in each of the 561 games of his career.