He talked about one message in particular, from Gordie’s son Mark. The younger Howe said his dad would have been proud to see his record broken by another player from his home province of Saskatchewan. “”Part of the message that Mark gave to me yesterday was that it’s kind of fitting that I am from Saskatchewan, and that would be very proud of me breaking the record tonight, being a small-town farm boy from Saskatchewan. Marleau’s wife Christina and four sons are scheduled to be at the road game, which wouldn’t be possible in San Jose, where fans still aren’t allowed during the pandemic.
“My wife, I couldn’t have done it without her over all these years,” Marleau said. Since being picked second overall in the 1997 NHL draft by San Jose, Marleau has notched 566 goals and 630 assists. Apart from two seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs and eight games with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Marleau has spent the rest of his career with San Jose. Marleau said by his fifth year in the NHL he had an idea that he would be in for a long professional career.
Told that the Golden Knights had spoken in glowing terms about Marleau’s achievement before the game, the veteran Sharks forward said he was humbled. “It’s super special to have that respect, and to have guys say such kind words,” Marleau said after a pause.
Source: The Canadian Press | TSN