The NHL’s Iron Men of Spring: Chelios, Lidstrom, Roy, Perry & Messier

Yesterday, I wrote a post after hearing that Corey Perry was third in playoff games among skaters. [See the link at the bottom of this post to read yesterday’s post.] What intrigued me about the revelation was how far the Great One (Wayne Gretzky) was down the list. He’s 17th all-time, which struck me as low. I remembered his days with the Edmonton Oilers during their dynasty, but forgot he played a few seasons with the St. Louis Blues and the New York Rangers when they were searching for relevance.

So, What Players Have Been in the Most Postseason Games?

I did some research to see who played the most NHL playoff games. If you’re a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, you know that's exactly where the rubber meets the road. Every year around playoff time, we talk about stars, scoring races, clutch goals, and goalies stealing games. But there’s a quieter story tucked in the background — the players who have been there the most. Not the most talented, not the flashiest, just the ones who punched the clock every spring and stayed long enough to stack up the miles.

And here’s the twist most fans don’t expect: the top of that list isn’t Gretzky or Mario Lemieux or Sidney Crosby. It’s not even close. The guys who have played the most playoff hockey in NHL history are a fascinating group, and their names tell you something about how hard it is to survive year after year in the postseason.

The Top 10 Postseason Performers in Terms of Games Played

Here’s the top 10, according to the NHL in career playoff games list:

Chris Chelios – 266 games
Nicklas Lidström – 263 games
Patrick Roy – 247 games
Corey Perry – 237 games
Mark Messier – 236 games
Claude Lemieux – 234 games
Scott Stevens – 233 games
Guy Carbonneau – 231 games
Larry Robinson – 227 games
Glenn Anderson – 225 games

What a mix. You’ve got Hall of Famers, agitators, big-moment scorers, defensive anchors, and even a player like Corey Perry who has outlasted entire eras of hockey. If you ever wanted proof that longevity isn’t just about star power, this list is it.

Again, What About Gretzky? And, So What?

Let me share again the surprise that catches almost everyone off guard. Wayne Gretzky — the greatest offensive player ever — played 208 playoff games. When you see another Oilers’ Hall of Famer, Glenn Anderson, ranked 10th, you know how powerful the Oilers were even after Gretzky went to Los Angeles to play with the Kings. Gretzky put up remarkable numbers, but he’s not near the top ten in this category.

It’s a reminder that greatness comes in different shapes. Gretzky didn’t need 260 playoff games to make his point. But Chelios? Lidström? Roy? They built careers on consistency, durability, and always being part of teams good enough to stay alive into June.

What’s the Real Takeaway with This Set of Numbers?

If there’s a story hiding inside these numbers, it’s that playoff longevity is its own kind of greatness. The players on this top-10 list weren’t just good; they were available, reliable, hardened by repetition, and trusted by coaches in every round. They survived different eras, systems, teammates, and styles of hockey.

It’s easy to get caught up in goals and highlights, but sometimes the truest mark of a career is simple: Were you still standing when the games mattered most — and how many years did your team trust you to do it again?

That’s what this list shows us. Greatness isn’t just brilliance. Sometimes it’s endurance. Sometimes it’s resilience. And sometimes it’s just refusing to go away when the calendar turns to spring.