Former Flyer Keith Yandle, owner of the NHL’s all-time iron man streak, announces his retirement

As the 2021-22 Flyers left the ice for the last time on April 29, defenseman Keith Yandle stood by the tunnel embracing every single one of his teammates.

It wasn’t the normal hug shared by players in celebration or commiseration. Each embrace was held a few extra seconds, as each player savored his final moments on a roster with the NHL’s most-liked teammate.

On Tuesday, the 36-year-old Yandle, who holds the iron man record of 989 consecutive games played, announced his retirement after 16 NHL seasons via the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast. Yandle broke Doug Jarvis’ record of 964 consecutive games played, which had stood since 1986, on Jan. 25 against the New York Islanders.

» READ MORE: Alone on the iron throne: Keith Yandle's road to becoming hockey's Cal Ripken Jr.

He played 1,109 games in all, tallying 103 goals and 516 assists. While his play dropped off in his lone season with the Flyers (he finished with a league-worst plus/minus of minus-47), Yandle was a three-time All-Star and was known as one of the league’s top power-play quarterbacks.

Besides his on-ice contributions, Yandle became famous throughout the league for his personality and sense of humor. He has made regular appearances on Spittin’ Chiclets and also has gone viral for his mic’d-up videos with his teams. When they joined the Flyers late in the season, rookies Ronnie Attard, Bobby Brink, and Noah Cates all said Yandle was the player they were most excited to meet.

Players across the league who have played with Yandle describe him as the favorite teammate they’ve played with, which is also part of what contributed to his iron man streak.

Although Yandle struggled with the Flyers, the team spoke highly of him. Former interim coach Mike Yeo, who played a part in the decision to bench Yandle on April 2 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, thus breaking his historic streak at 989 games, said it was a decision he did not take lightly and added that he felt honored to be a part of the streak while it was active.

With Yandle a pending free agent, the Flyers said they wanted to get a look at some of the team’s younger defensemen down the stretch, with Attard taking Yandle’s place against Toronto. In all, Yandle played 77 games for the Flyers, scoring one goal with 18 assists.

In his one season, he left a lasting impression on some of the team’s younger players, including winger Joel Farabee.

“He’s one of the teammates you’ll remember forever,” Farabee said.

Unfortunately for Yandle, his iron man record may not last long. Vegas Golden Knights winger Phil Kessel, who has played in 982 consecutive games, comes into the season just seven games behind Yandle.