As an undersized, undrafted defenseman, Dan Boyle parlayed a brilliant career at Miami into a free agent contract with the Florida Panthers after graduating in 1998. Wednesday - 17 years and four NHL teams later - he joined the elite group of players who have skated in 1,000 career NHL games.
Boyle, 38, became the 298th NHLer to reach that milestone and the 44th to have played NCAA hockey. He is the first former Miami star to reach the mark.
NCAA Players with 1,000 NHL GP
Boyle skated nearly 21 minutes in the game, a 2-1 overtime loss for his New York Rangers at Detroit. It took place at Joe Louis Arena, the same rink where Boyle led Miami to the 1997 CCHA semifinals as a junior. That was his first of two first-team All-America seasons, totaling 54 points - which still stands as a Miami single-season record for a defenseman and hasn't been reached by another NCAA defenseman since then.
The milestone also offered Boyle the opportunity to reflect upon his career.
"It’s a lot of hard work," Boyle said Wednesday morning. "Looking back, all the offseason workouts, the workouts on off days. There’s a lot more that goes into it than 1,000 games. It’s not easy. I’m just thankful that I’ve gotten to this point.
"I’m proud of where I came from, being undrafted, being overlooked early on in my career. To make it to this stage and to play as long as I have, it’s pretty special."
Two-time Olympian
The offensive instincts and elite skating ability that Boyle displayed at Miami have benefitted him throughout his NHL career. He has topped 50 points in a season six times, been named to two Canadian Olympic teams (2006, 2010), played in two NHL All-Star Games (2009, 2011) and twice named to the NHL's postseason Second All-Star Team (2007, 2009).
In 2003-04, his fourth full NHL season, Boyle helped lead the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup as the team's top-scoring defenseman. The leading scorer on that team, Martin St. Louis, is another undersized NCAA free agent who Boyle has reunited with in New York.
St. Louis, who played at Vermont, is the second-leading NCAA alum in NHL games played (1,123), trailing only Matt Cullen (St. Cloud State, 1,200 GP). He had a special appreciation for Boyle's accomplishment.
"Boyle, who wasn’t drafted, a small defenseman at the time when there weren’t many small defensemen," St. Louis said. "So his entrance to the NHL was a little tough. It’s a sign of longevity and dedication. I’m real proud that he’s reached that milestone."