On March 4th, former Black Hawk standout Joe Pavelski played in his 872nd NHL regular season game.  In the process, he overtook another former Waterloo star of a decade earlier.  Up until that evening, no Hawks alumnus had appeared in more games than Jason Blake.

Pavelski now owns the most notable top marks among NHL players who first passed through the Cedar Valley.

Perhaps just as exciting, several young players who have reached the top of the hockey ladder are already climbing fast in some statistical categories.  Here’s a look at the numbers:

Some other notable facts about the 2017/18 NHL season from a Waterloo perspective:

• The nine former Hawks who appeared in at least one NHL game over the winter represent the largest group ever.  The previous high was six in 2013/14.
• Pavelski recorded his 300th goal early in the season.
• Craig Smith scored his 100th goal and played in his 500th game over the course of the year.
• After Pavelski, Brandon Montour made the next highest number of appearances, skating in 80 of 82 games (Pavelski played in all 82).
• Justin Kloos and Blake Hillman both made their NHL debuts.
• Waterloo players have gone on to skate for 23 of the NHL’s 31 current teams.

Alumni features are presented by Karen’s Print Rite at 2515 Falls Avenue in Waterloo or online at karensprintrite.com.