Charlie Coyle's celebration will have to wait.
The longtime NHLer recently joined an exclusive club as Coyle played in his 1,000th career NHL game during last Thursday's 1-0 win over the Dallas Stars. He's one of 416 players all-time to reach the milestone.
Nice moment for Charlie Coyle, who gets the opening draw in his 1000th NHL game. The Coyle family on hand as the cannon starters for this game, too. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/8GiAQ6sdcv
— 1st Ohio Battery (@1stOhioBattery) January 23, 2026
Coyle played in his 1,001st game on Saturday, an 8-5 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, in which he had a three-point night with one goal and two assists to garner Second Star of the Game honors. That goal he scored came on the power play to give Columbus a 6-4 second-period lead.
It's Charlie's week!
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) January 25, 2026
CBJ x @FanaticsBook pic.twitter.com/gmwd7EhD90
It also went down as the game-winning goal, and it was the 200th goal of his career.
Not a bad couple of days.
Monday's game against the Los Angeles Kings would have been his 1,002nd game and the night he was honored with the silver stick for playing in 1,000 games. Since the game was postponed until Mar. 9 due to weather, that ceremony will have to wait.
The guy I really feel badly for is #CBJ F Charlie Coyle. The plan was to celebrate his 1000th #NHL game tonight with friends & family in attendance. Dj vu of sorts for him. Winter weather prevented his family from attending his 1st NHL game with @mnwild in 2013. Hopefully Wed.
— Dave Maetzold (@DMaetzMedia) January 26, 2026
As big as the last couple of games have been for Coyle, he's had a big first year with the Blue Jackets.
With 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists) in 51 games, Coyle is on pace for 53 points (18 goals, 35 assists), which would be his best season since he had 60 points (25 goals, 35 assists) for the 2023-24 Boston Bruins.
However, as nice as points are, Coyle has larger aspirations as he looks to get back to the playoffs for the 14th straight year.
"It's just nice to win," Coyle said after Thursday's victory. "These milestones and things to celebrate are all fun. It's a part of it, and it's nice, but when you win, it makes it that much better, and you can enjoy it a little more."
Entering the league with the Minnesota Wild in 2012-13, Coyle has never missed the playoffs, having also made postseason trips with the Bruins and Colorado Avalanche.
#CBJ players helping celebrate Charlie Coyle's 1,000th NHL game, which he'll play tonight vs. #TexasHockey
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) January 22, 2026
Coyle's games by organization:#mnwild 479#NHLBruins 452#GoAvsGo 19#CBJ 50 https://t.co/wo0n1AkNrm
This season, Coyle has primarily played alongside Cole Sillinger and Mathieu Olivier, and that line has made an impact where it matters most in terms of goals scored and goals allowed.
| Games Played | Time on Ice | Goals For/Against | Goals For/Against per 60 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | 221:34 | 14/7 | 3.79/1.9 |
For a player to last as many as 1,000 career games and counting, there's a lot that player has done right to make it that far. And many players hit that illustrious milestone in a variety of ways.
Whether it's making your living as a pure goal scorer like the greatest of all time, Alexander Ovechkin, or being a gritty and reliable veteran like former Blue Jacket and current Chicago Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno, the common trait of all the guys who have been able to last long enough to play 1,000 career games is that they are well-respected amongst their peers. That is most apparent among Coyle's Blue Jackets teammates.
"I could talk all night about how amazing of a teammate he is — how amazing of a player he is," Jet Greaves said. "Charlie's been such a great addition to our group — the leadership he brings, the effort that he puts in every single day, the stuff he does when guys are watching, the stuff he does when no one's watching.
"I could go on and on, and I'm sure every guy in this locker room could go on and on about how special he is."
Head coach Rick Bowness has only coached Coyle for a short time, but the feeling shared by Greaves is mutual.
"He's a great leader on this team," Bowness said. "He's been a great performer in this league for a long, long time. He gives you everything he's got.
"He's just a coach's dream."
Coyle was the obvious choice for the Donkey — the player-chosen award given in honor of Johnny Gaudreau after a win — following Thursday's milestone game. As seen on Saturday's FanDuel Sports Network postgame, Mason Marchment was the winner as chosen by Coyle. On Sunday, we wrote about Marchment's hat-trick performance over the Lightning and franchise-record eight goals in nine games. Certainly a performance worthy of accolades.
A cool nugget, though, by Coyle was his recognizing the contributions by Isac Lundestrom, who, like Marchment, re-entered Thursday's lineup after a lower-body injury kept him out. In an 8-5 action-packed win on Saturday, there are little things that might not stick out on the scoreboard, and Coyle recognized Lundestrom's impact.
Especially notable as Lundestrom was on the wrong end of a goal when Greaves attempted to clear the puck in the first period against the Lightning, and the puck struck Lundestrom's skate, ending up in the back of the net.
The token of appreciation by Coyle is something you can bet Lundestrom appreciated, and it shows the character Coyle brings to these Blue Jackets.
Columbus' next opportunity for a victory comes against the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday as the Jackets try to close out a successful homestand and make it seven wins in their last eight games.
