Very soon, defenseman Jay Bouwmeester will be able to go up to girls at the local bowling alley, look them deep in their eyes, and whisper "I'm an Iron Man."
This is because, as Vicki Hall reported, on Saturday night, Jay Bouwmeester will tie his former D partner Karlis Skrastins for consecutive games played by a blueliner.
From the Vicki Hall story linked above:
So erase the name Skrastins. Replace it with the name Bouwmeester, as the NHL's defensive iron man for the ages.
"I always knew he could be a guy who could play for many, many years without injury," Skrastins said. "He can play every game for 30 minutes, and he doesn't even get tired.
Well, what does this mean for the Flames long term?
1. We've got a solid defenseman for years to come. Say what you will about Jay Bouwmeester being overpaid, he's been rock solid on the blue line and is one of the few Flames defensemen who can actually skate.
2. We've got someone who can teach our younger players what it takes to succeed long term in the NHL. When Tim Erixon and TJ Brodie make the jump to the NHL from their respective leagues, Jay Bouwmeester will still be here to help them out in practice, show them what they can play with injury-wise, and just as important what they shouldn't -play with.
Let's hope Jay Bouwmeester keeps up this incredible run of endurance. He's a Flames player I'd like to watch for years to come.