Leafs defenceman Ron Hainsey joins select group, marks his 1,000th NHL game

Former Maple Leafs great Darryl Sittler, right, presents Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Ron Hainsey with a silver hockey stick to commemorate his 1000th NHL hockey game ahead of NHL hockey action between the Maple Leafs and Dallas Stars in Toronto on Thursday, November 1, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

TORONTO -- The result didn't go the Leafs' way Thursday night but veteran defenceman Ron Hainsey still found some pluses in his 1,000th NHL game.

"The kids didn't cry, so that was a success as far as I'm concerned," Hainsey said dryly after Toronto's 2-1 loss to the Dallas Stars.

The Maple Leafs and the NHL honoured Hainsey before the game while his wife and three young children watched on the Scotiabank Arena ice.

The 37-year-old from Bolton, Conn., became the 324th player in NHL history to reach the 1,000-game mark and the 23rd player to do so in a Leafs uniform.

Hainsey was quickly followed by Buffalo's Jason Pominville, who reached the 1,000 game milestone Thursday in the Sabres' 4-2 loss to Ottawa.

Dallas forward Jason Spezza played his 1,000th game on Tuesday in Montreal.

Only 20 active players have hit 1,000 NHL games.

Hainsey's first words to reporters after the game were to thank the Leafs organization and staff, saying they "went out of their way to make it a great day and they did that."

Had Hainsey's chosen sport been rugby, his teammates would have put him at the head of the line and waited in the tunnel as he trotted out alone before the game. Hainsey, no fan of being fussed over, emerged mid-pack as the Leafs streamed out on the ice.

But the spotlight quickly switched to the no-nonsense defenceman.

After a video tribute, Leaf assistant captains John Tavares, Patrick Marleau and Morgan Rielly (his defence partner) presented the family with flowers and gifts. The NHL offered up a Tiffany crystal while Leafs icon Darryl Sittler, who played 1,096 regular-season games, presented Hainsey with the silver stick that all 1,000-game veterans get.

Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment donated $10,00 to the SickKids Foundation in Hainsey's name.

Then it was back to work. Hainsey played the opening shift, wasting little time using his stick to steer a Dallas player into the boards.

The veteran led all Leafs in shifts (21) and ice time (14:57) through two periods. He was also on the ice for the first Dallas goal. He finished with 28 shifts and 19:04 in ice time.

Hainsey also had some words for the referee late in the game when Dallas forward Tyler Pitlick nailed him into the boards from behind and no penalty was called.

Chances are he'd seen it all before.

Hainsey's NHL career dates back to 2002-03 when he made 21 appearances for the Canadiens, who had drafted him in the first round -- 13th overall -- in 2000.

He went on to play for Columbus, Atlanta, Winnipeg, Carolina and Pittsburgh before signing a two-year deal with the Maple Leafs on July 1, 2017, as an unrestricted free agent.

It wasn't until 2017 with Pittsburgh -- 907 games into his career -- that his NHL journey finally took him to the playoffs. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby recognized those years of service, handing the Stanley Cup to then 36-year-old Hainsey first during the post-game celebrations in Nashville.

"I'm sure he was pretty happy to lift it and I was certainly happy to pass it along to him," Crosby said that night.

"Certainly an honour and certainly a moment I won't forget," Hainsey said at the time.

Carolina had traded Hainsey to Pittsburgh that February.

Prior to entering the NHL, he spent two years in the U.S. national team development program and a year at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell.

The Leafs also ran a short video tribute Thursday to former players Connor Carrick and Roman Polak, now both wearing Dallas colours. Carrick was not dressed due to a foot injury.