Oldest active NHL player timeline

[reckoning]

I was curious about various players over the years who were the oldest player in the NHL at some point, and who took over when they retired. So I decided to create a chain from the NHLs first season to the present.


For this, I'm not counting one-game fill-ins, so there's no Lester Patrick, Moe Roberts, Lefty Wilson or David Ayres. This is just players who were considered part of the teams regular roster, even if it was just for a short time. In 43-44 Rangers coach Frank Boucher played because the team was understaffed, but 15 games was enough to make the list. I only removed a player if he was inactive or out of the NHL for a significant time (I.e. Chelios in the AHL for most of 09-10), or if their NHL future was in doubt (Shore between the Bruins and the Americans).


1917-18: Jack Laviolette
1918-19: Joe Hall
1919-23: Didier Pitre
1923-24: Georges Vezina
1924-24: Bobby Rowe
1924-25: Georges Vezina
1925-26: Louis Berlinquette
1926-27: Hugh Lehman
1928-28: Hap Holmes
1928-29: Art Duncan
1929-29: Herb Gardiner
1929-30: Art Duncan
1930-31: Bert McCaffrey
1931-31: Joe Simpson
1931-32: Helge Bostrom
1933-36: George Hainsworth
1937-37: Bill Cook
1937-38: Ivan Johnson
1938-39: Eddie Shore
1939-40: Nels Stewart
1940-40: Eddie Shore
1940-41: Hooley Smith
1941-43: Dit Clapper
1943-43: Johnny Gottselig
1943-44: Frank Boucher
1944-44: Johnny Gottselig
1944-46: Dit Clapper
1946-46: Bill Cowley
1946-47: Dit Clapper
1947-47: Bill Cowley
1947-48: Toe Blake
1948-48: Bryan Hextall
1948-51: Turk Broda
1951-51: Doug Bentley
1951-51: Roy Conacher
1951-54: Woody Dumart
1954-54: Doug Bentley
1954-54: Milt Schmidt
1954-56: Butch Bouchard
1956-60: Maurice Richard
1960-69: Johnny Bower
1969-71: Gordie Howe
1971-73: Jacques Plante
1973-74: Gump Worsley
1974-75: Doug Mohns
1975-78: Johnny Bucyk
1978-79: Terry Harper
1979-80: Gordie Howe
1980-81: Dave Keon
1981-81: Terry Harper
1981-82: Dave Keon
1982-84: Tony Esposito
1984-85: Brad Park
1985-87: Glenn Resch
1987-88: Gilles Meloche
1988-89: Billy Smith
1989-90: Borje Salming
1990-92: Larry Robinson
1992-92: Rejean Lemelin
1993-95: Mark Howe
1995-97: Joe Mullen
1997-98: Viacheslav Fetisov
1998-99: Kjell Samuelsson
1999-00: Guy Carbonneau
2000-04: Igor Larionov
2005-09: Chris Chelios
2009-10: Mark Recchi
2010-10: Chris Chelios
2010-11: Mark Recchi
2011-12: Dwayne Roloson
2012-14: Teemu Selanne
2014-18: Jaromir Jagr
2018-19: Matt Cullen
2019-22: Zdeno Chara
2022-23: Craig Anderson


Cowley, Blake, Hextall, Broda and Dumart were all 34 years old when they hit the top spot. It's hard to believe that the oldest active player was only 34, but that was the era of the late-40s and early-50s.

I'm surprised Gordie Howe didn't reach the top spot earlier, because I forgot about Johnny Bower. Actually, Allan Stanley and Doug Harvey were also older than Howe, so he still wouldn't have inherited the spot until 1969 anyway. I also thought Mark Messier would make the list, but Larionov was one month older.

With Craig Anderson retired, the next five in line are Mark Giordano, Joe Pavelski, Zach Parise, Eric Staal, and Marc-Andre Fleury. Of course, if Joe Thornton decides to play next year then he'll jump to the top of the line.

On a related note, the only players who played in the NHL pre-lockout who are still active are Marc-Andre Fleury, Brent Burns, Patrice Bergeron, Eric Staal and maybe Joe Thornton. It'll be interesting to see who the last one is.

Click to read more...

 

[The Panther]

Wow, cool list.

Wasn't there always some debate about exactly how old Johnny Bower actually was?

Brad Park was only 36 by 1985, but that was ancient by the standards of the time. (It also puts into perspective how Orr's full-time years ending in 1975 was a real tragedy.)

I was not aware that Billy Smith was the oldest player in 1988-89.

 

[tarheelhockey]

On a related note, the only players who played in the NHL pre-lockout who are still active are Marc-Andre Fleury, Brent Burns, Patrice Bergeron, Eric Staal and maybe Joe Thornton. It'll be interesting to see who the last one is.

I think Burns will end up being the last one standing, and by a healthy margin. Staal is barely in the league and Thornton is effectively retired. That leaves Bergeron, who has seemed on the verge of retirement for a while now, and Fleury. Fleury certainly has the personality to hang around the league for a while, but his game is pretty mediocre and the league is unforgiving to goalies. Bergeron is the hardest one to read, because he could very well decide to play a middle-6 leadership role for a long time if he wanted. The Bruins seemed like they would be rebuilding soon, but 2022-23 flipped that on its head. Hard to know what to expect after this year.

That leaves Burns, who is still playing strong hockey and is the next iron man after Kessel (i.e. a pretty clean medical history). With his size and skills he theoretically should be able to hang in there well past 40 if he wants.

 

[Terry Yake]

i always forget burns played pre-lockout. doesn't seem like he's been around that long, plus he's still one of the better offensive d-men in the game. no doubt he'll be the last pre-lockout guy still active in the NHL

worth noting that roloson was the last active NHL'er born in the 60s, while kjell samuelsson was the last born in the 50s. i believe chico resch was the last who was born in the 40s, but not 100% sure

 

[vaspa]

Craig Anderson retiring leaves Fleury as the last goaltender who has ties in his record and as the last one to have played against a WHA player, right?

Ties feel somewhat recent, but WHA players feel like totally different era.

 

[crobro]

Tim Horton was still playing at an elite level at 44 before his untimely passing

 

[Albatros]

Tim Horton was still playing at an elite level at 44 before his untimely passing

That's maybe a little bit generous. Of course he still possessed some of the qualities that had made him elite in Toronto, but despite being reunited with his old coach Imlach in Buffalo (after three teams had already let him go) I don't think he had another year in him even if he didn't get himself killed.

 

[Yozhik v tumane]

1960-69: Johnny Bower

Bower being the oldest player in the league for a decade’s pretty wild.

 

[Albatros]

He habitually told falsehoods about himself though, even Bower wasn't his real name. Everyone knew he was old but not exactly how old.

 

[Sanf]

Nitpicking bit with Kjell Samuelson in early in 98-99. His signing was done roughly week after the season has already started. He started at Austrian league.

That would make Dino Ciccarelli the oldest for brief moment. But the thing is he seemed (I checked that) to be scratched by Florida early in season.

 

[seventieslord]

Craig Anderson retiring leaves Fleury as the last goaltender who has ties in his record and as the last one to have played against a WHA player, right?

Ties feel somewhat recent, but WHA players feel like totally different era.

he's also the last player older than me

I think Burns will end up being the last one standing, and by a healthy margin. Staal is barely in the league and Thornton is effectively retired. That leaves Bergeron, who has seemed on the verge of retirement for a while now, and Fleury. Fleury certainly has the personality to hang around the league for a while, but his game is pretty mediocre and the league is unforgiving to goalies. Bergeron is the hardest one to read, because he could very well decide to play a middle-6 leadership role for a long time if he wanted. The Bruins seemed like they would be rebuilding soon, but 2022-23 flipped that on its head. Hard to know what to expect after this year.

That leaves Burns, who is still playing strong hockey and is the next iron man after Kessel (i.e. a pretty clean medical history). With his size and skills he theoretically should be able to hang in there well past 40 if he wants.

I think you're 100% right here. Even with Burns being as old as he is, I would not 100% rule him out from one day being the official ironman, and/or the unofficial, playoffs-included ironman. The former is still active for Kessel (but is seriously threatened), and the latter is now over. I think Burns is two full seasons and long playoff runs away from that one.

EDIT: yikes, he's still a long way away. Let's assume Kessel is done (which is not necessarily true), and his streak ends this october. Burns is still 303 behind for the regular season record! And even for his still-intact, unofficial streak that includes playoffs, he's 286 behind (1129-843). That's three full seasons and three playoff runs averaging 13-14 games apiece. That's not impossible for him or the Hurricanes to do, but it is tough.

I'm rooting for him, though. the guy has won me over in recent years. What an athlete.

As for Thornton... does anyone seriously believe there's a chance he'll play again? He was cooked two seasons ago; the idea of him coming back at 43 after a year of.....

 

[reckoning]

he's also the last player older than me

For me, that player was Mark Recchi. I was pretty depressed when he retired.

 

[jigglysquishy]

Ovechkin as 12th oldest active player really gets to me. He could be top 5 oldest as soon as 15 months from now.

McDavid is going to be in the oldest 50% of the league soon too.

 

[tarheelhockey]

I think you're 100% right here. Even with Burns being as old as he is, I would not 100% rule him out from one day being the official ironman, and/or the unofficial, playoffs-included ironman. The former is still active for Kessel (but is seriously threatened), and the latter is now over. I think Burns is two full seasons and long playoff runs away from that one.

EDIT: yikes, he's still a long way away. Let's assume Kessel is done (which is not necessarily true), and his streak ends this october. Burns is still 303 behind for the regular season record! And even for his still-intact, unofficial streak that includes playoffs, he's 286 behind (1129-843). That's three full seasons and three playoff runs averaging 13-14 games apiece. That's not impossible for him or the Hurricanes to do, but it is tough.

I'm rooting for him, though. the guy has won me over in recent years. What an athlete.

As for Thornton... does anyone seriously believe there's a chance he'll play again? He was cooked two seasons ago; the idea of him coming back at 43 after a year of.....

The length of Kessel’s streak is pretty crazy considering it’s Phil Kessel.

I’m just grateful to live in a timeline where it’s Kessel and Burns dueling for the title and not someone lame like Yandle.

 

[BraveCanadian]

As for Thornton... does anyone seriously believe there's a chance he'll play again? He was cooked two seasons ago; the idea of him coming back at 43 after a year of.....

Thornton has been cooked since before he came to TO imo.. now he's burned to a crisp.. can't imagine a team taking a chance on his shambling corpse after a year off after that.

The length of Kessel’s streak is pretty crazy considering it’s Phil Kessel.

I’m just grateful to live in a timeline where it’s Kessel and Burns dueling for the title and not someone lame like Yandle.

Phil Kessel and Yandle beside the words iron man is just another sign that this timeline has jumped the shark. Two of the softest players ever.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Thornton has been cooked since before he came to TO imo.. now he's burned to a crisp.. can't imagine a team taking a chance on his shambling corpse after a year off after that.



Phil Kessel and Yandle beside the words iron man is just another sign that this timeline has jumped the shark. Two of the softest players ever.

Phil Kessel has never been soft. Soft players dont get cancer and miss only 11 games.

 

[BraveCanadian]

Phil Kessel has never been soft. Soft players dont get cancer and miss only 11 games.

Comparing apples and fax machines. No reason to be pedantic, there isn't a hockey fan alive that doesn't know how sweet and super buttery soft Phil Kessel is on the ice.

 

[seventieslord]

Phil Kessel is one of the softest players of this generation.

He's also one of the best. And one of the coolest. And a three-time Stanley Cup winner. The amount of interesting memories and anecdotes and jokes associated with this player compared to most, is through the roof.

Any hockey fan should appreciate him. This timeline we are in, in which he is the NHL's Iron man is cool AF. Especially because he's such a soft player.

 

[MadLuke]

He his thought in a bend don't break type, not in a hard player.

Phil Kessel all around package of on the ice-off the ice, jokes-anecdotes, storyline could be generational.

 

[Mike C]

On the flip side, saddens me to be reminded that #4 played his last full season at age 26

 

[MS]

For me, that player was Mark Recchi. I was pretty depressed when he retired.

Thornton/Chara simultaneously for me. And Tom Brady and Albert Pujols (who was really born in 1977 or 1978) at roughly the same time in other sports.

Crazy that the oldest player in May 2022 was born in 1977 and by October 2023 it will be 1983. 6-year move in 18 months and a lot of people are probably feeling pretty old right now.

 

[ponder719]

he's also the last player older than me

Unless Jumbo Joe comes back, same. I feel your pain.

 

[Terry Yake]

assuming he doesn't return to the NHL next season, thornton will be the last active NHL'er born in the 70s

i guess you could say both thornton and chara since they both haven't played since 2022, but thornton still hasn't retired

 

[McGarnagle]

My favorite thing is how Gordie Howe was already the oldest player in the NHL, then left the league for 9 years, then came back to become the oldest player again.

Thinking about athlete longevity in perspective is really disturbing when I'm here just now getting settled into my career and personal life, only starting to reach personal achievements, etc. and then I log on here to read about how Nick Foligno is a washed-up dinosaur who needs to retire when he's literally a year younger than me.

I don't know if there's data to back it up or if it's just that everyone seemed older when I was younger, but it really felt like the league skewed older before the lockout. In 2004 it felt like every team had 39 and 40 year olds on their rosters. Now only a handful of talents are hanging on after 35 aside from genetic freaks like Chara and Jagr.

 

[Albatros]

I don't know if there's data to back it up or if it's just that everyone seemed older when I was younger, but it really felt like the league skewed older before the lockout. In 2004 it felt like every team had 39 and 40 year olds on their rosters. Now only a handful of talents are hanging on after 35 aside from genetic freaks like Chara and Jagr.

The expansions typically rejuvenated the league a great deal, between them in the late O6 era as well as in the DPE the league was indeed at its oldest. But right now it's also not much different anymore.