NY Islanders defensemen reach statistically improbable matching 600 game milestone

Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock reached a milestone Tuesday night in Chicago that felt less like a coincidence and more like destiny.

The longtime New York Islanders defense partners each skated in their 600th NHL game, doing so in the same game, for the same team, they both debuted with nearly a decade ago. It’s a statistical improbability that somehow fits perfectly for two players whose careers have unfolded in near-parallel on Long Island.

Ryan Pulock, Garth Snow, Doug Weight — 2013 NHL Draft | Bruce Bennett/GettyImages

According to Eric Hornick, Pelech and Pulock became the first teammates to play their 600th NHL game in the same contest since Andrew Copp and Ben Chiarot did so for Detroit on Dec. 27, 2023, against Minnesota. But there’s a crucial distinction: Pelech and Pulock are the first pair to accomplish the feat with the organization where they started their careers. In Islanders history, they are the first teammates to hit the 600-game mark in the same game since Patrick Flatley and Steve Thomas did it on March 4, 1994.

Drafted two years apart — Pulock in 2013, Pelech in 2012 — the two defensemen arrived in the NHL with different skill sets but quickly became inseparable pieces of the Islanders’ identity. Pulock’s booming shot and physical edge paired seamlessly with Pelech’s positional discipline and shutdown instincts. Together, they’ve logged thousands of minutes against top competition, anchoring playoff runs, surviving coaching changes, and weathering roster turnover around them.

Adam Pelech — Boston Bruins v New York Islanders - Game Four | Bruce Bennett/GettyImages

They’ve seen eras come and go: the end of the Coliseum, the Barry Trotz years, deep playoff runs, heartbreak, and now another transition under Patrick Roy. Through it all, Pelech and Pulock have remained constants — trusted, accountable, and sometimes, even quietly elite when healthy.

Hitting 600 games together isn’t just a number. It’s a testament to durability, loyalty, and a shared commitment to doing the hard things right. For Islanders fans, it’s also a reminder that while much has changed over the years, some foundations remain rock solid.

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