As Yandle thinks of his teammates, Hayes feels for him with streak's end

As his NHL record ironman streak was brought to an end at 989 consecutive games played, Keith Yandle didn't change.

He came to the rink Saturday morning at Flyers Training Center, practiced with his usual love-every-day energy and pushed forward.

But the day before he was scratched from a game for the first time since March 2009, he did change.

He reflected.

"I'm not really a guy that reflects too much," Yandle said Saturday, "so it kind of hits you a little bit. Just fortunate to be here."

What did he reflect about?

"Probably just all the teammates, all the guys that have gone to bat for me," Yandle said. "Just special guys that I've played with is a lot of it that I've been thinking of, how fortunate I was to have such good friends and guys that have stuck up for me and guys that have had my back. That's probably the one thing that I've reflected on the most.

"I did a little bit of talking last night with my wife and my brother and my parents. Just one of those things that you kind of look back and how long it's been. Obviously it's something that I take a lot of pride in. I'm fortunate to play one game in this league. I say it all the time, I've been blessed to be in this league as long as I have. I owe pretty much my whole life to this league. It's been a great journey, too."

Prior to watching the Flyers' 6-3 loss Saturday night to the Maple Leafs, Yandle had not missed a game in 13 years. With his 965th consecutive game played back on Jan. 25, the 35-year-old veteran defenseman took over the NHL record, which was previously held by Doug Jarvis. 

The Flyers, a retooling team with a need to evaluate some younger pieces in a lost season, made a decision that was expectedly met by league-wide controversy.

Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher recently talked with Yandle to inform him of the club's plan for the final month of the season. Interim head coach Mike Yeo said Yandle handled the organizational decision like a pro.

"He received it exactly the way you would expect Keith Yandle to handle it," Yeo said Saturday.

Yandle took the scratch in stride as he took the ice Saturday morning.

"It's tough to have a bad day in the NHL," he said. "Getting the news that you're not playing is not what you want to hear — and that's every single guy, every guy wants to be playing, wants to be on the ice, going to battle with their teammates. But once you're on the ice, you're feeling like a kid again, smiling, snapping the puck around. For me, it's just trying to stay positive."

Kevin Hayes, Yandle's teammate and close friend, had mixed emotions on the Flyers' decision. He didn't agree with it but understood it, noting the business side of the game and his own team's accountability.

"We put ourselves in this situation, having the year that we've had," Hayes said Saturday night. "Not battling for a playoff spot, we need young guys out of college to come in, young guys in the AHL to see what they do. I love this team, I love this city, I love this organization. Decisions need to be made every day. Us players don't make those decisions. It's truly on us, the reason why he probably had to sit out a game. I can't say I agree with it, but the impact that Keith has on myself and the guys in that locker room is something that can't be measured.

"I know sometimes the media is all over him, but what he provides to some of these young guys on this team is something that no one else can do. I know he's one of my best friends, but the way he goes about his everyday life is truly professional. He's a role model for a lot of people. I think if you asked every person in that room what they think about Keith, you're going to get a lot of positive feedback."

Hayes was asked if he didn't agree with the decision because he wanted to see Yandle achieve 1,000 consecutive games played.

"Yeah, I mean, you guys might write something that makes me look like an idiot by saying that. But decisions need to be made by organizations," Hayes said. "They made a decision and we have to roll with it. It's a business, like he said this morning, it's part of the business. Like you guys, you guys go home, you might not agree with some things that happen at home, it's the same thing here. You just go on to the next day. Obviously it was a big deal, but we played the game and we played well up until the third. Decisions are made every day."

Yandle and Hayes will eventually get the chance to reflect on the streak together.

Even if that's not their thing.

"We haven't really had the time. I'm sure we will at some point," Yandle said. "We're both kind of guys that don't really, we're not too, what do they say, sappy, about stuff like that. We kind of just make jokes and watch TV."

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