Moritz Seider hasn’t missed an NHL game since he arrived in the league. Five straight seasons, all 82 games, 410 consecutive appearances for the Detroit Red Wings. And yet, when the subject turns to Brent Burns, even Seider sounds like a fan.
Burns enters the 2026-27 season with 1,007 consecutive games played, sitting second all time on the NHL’s iron man list behind Phil Kessel, who set the record at 1,064 straight appearances back in October 2022. That leaves the 41-year-old just 58 games short of the longest iron man streak in league history, a mark he could reach by late January if he stays in the lineup. Burns hasn’t missed a game since November 2013, and he re-signed with the Colorado Avalanche for a 23rd NHL season with that specific record in mind.
Moritz Seider on Brent Burns
Asked about his own streak in an interview with NHL.com’s German site, Seider pointed to offseason work as much as luck.
“I don’t know either. I’m just proud to be available. Of course, you also need a bit of luck with major injuries. But a run like this also goes hand in hand with the work you do during the summer break,” Seider said. “Maybe that puts you in situations where your tolerance level is a bit higher than others’, or you can take more punishment than others. Sometimes it simply comes down to how much you really want something. I think I can proudly say out loud that I absolutely want it. There aren’t many things that could stop me from getting out there.”
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When the conversation shifted to Burns closing in on Kessel, Seider didn’t hide how impressive he finds it.
“I know how much work I had to put in to reach just over 400 consecutive games. I can hardly imagine what he’s been through,” Seider said. “It’s impressive to see that he’s still playing at such a high level. He’s a joy to watch. I have the utmost respect for any player who never misses a game and is always available.”
Burns is the oldest active skater in the NHL and put up 31 points with a plus-30 rating in his first season in Colorado. When he hit 1,000 straight games in April, Kessel himself recorded a video message for the ceremony.
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