Before Doug Jarvis broke his record, Garry Unger was considered the NHL’s Iron Man. Unger played in 914 consecutive games which was a phenomenal accomplishment, considering the rough nature of Professional Hockey. Unger did not just play in those games; he was a seven-time All-Star who acquired 804 career points. Because Unger was dependable, he was not considered flashy. The latter might be what has caused people to forget about the first true “Iron Man” of the NHL.

Considering that Steve Thomas went undrafted, making the NHL is an impressive feat. Throw in that he lasted 19 seasons, and that feat is extraordinary. Steve Thomas became a solid goal scorer and a dependable player on both ends. He managed to get over 900 points in his long career, and though he had a high career point total, he was never an All-Star. Without at least one outstanding season to his credit, it may be difficult for Thomas to crack the Hall.

As a skill player for the Philadelphia Flyers, the speedy and undersized Andre Lacroix was a star but not necessarily a superstar. Lacroix was one of the many who took the pay increase to join the WHA, and the more open game style worked well with his approach to play. Lacroix may have bounced around that struggling league, but wherever he went, he was scoring profusely. Lacroix would go down in history as the all-time leading scorer of the World Hockey Association, finishing with 798 points and six consecutive seasons hitting the 100-point plateau. Likely, because all his great moments were in the WHA (and with teams that were struggling even by WHA standards) his contributions have gone largely unnoticed. Had there ever been a WHA-specific Hall of Fame, however, Andre Lacroix would be on the first ballot.

It is always impressive when a man plays 964 games in the National Hockey League. What made Doug Jarvis’ 964 games so special is that he played them in a row, setting the “iron man” mark for consecutive games played. Jarvis didn’t just play in those games: he was a gritty, defensive-minded forward who was the master of the penalty kill. He didn’t light up the lamps, but that was not what he was paid to do. Considering he is the “Iron Man” of Hockey, an induction is not impossible.