Buffalo Sabres captain Kyle Okposo will join a rare class of NHL players when he plays in his 1,000th game tomorrow night vs. the Boston Bruins.
Buffalo Sabres captain Kyle Okposo is no longer the player he was, but he still brings immense value thanks to his ability to lead what has been the NHL’s youngest team for a while now. Tomorrow night, the Sabres will give back to Okposo when they recognize an accomplishment that only 46 active NHL players have attained – appearing in 1,000 games.
Rare company indeed, but for the 17th-year pro, it’s well-deserved. No, the Blue and Gold didn’t make any playoff appearances (yet) during his time in the City of Good Neighbors. But few have been in town long enough to see this team mold from a virtual NHL afterthought into one that is built to contend throughout at least the 2020s, whether it happens this season or in the future.
Buffalo Sabres captain deserves recognition for playing in 1,000 career games
When you look at Kyle Okposo’s numbers, they’re not overly impressive, as he never snagged more than 69 points or 27 goals in a season. Many may not even call him a great player, since nothing he ever did on the ice stood out in the same way as some of the greatest names of the era. He only played in one All-Star game, with that lone appearance coming in 2017.
But you can’t deny his leadership skills, and they undoubtedly served as a big reason for the Buffalo Sabres turnaround from that forgettable 2020-21 season to where they are today – even if they haven’t been the most consistent group as of late.
And it was enough to catapult Okposo into that rare company that has reached the 1,000-game milestone. Hopefully, that 1,000th game ends up as a win, but it will be no easy task with the Boston Bruins looking to extend their dominance in the Atlantic Division.
Source: Buffalo Sabres to honor captain Kyle Okposo ahead of his 1,000th NHL game by Tyler Pacos, WGRZ
(Statistics and information provided by Hockey-Reference)