Oilers' Kris Russell breaks record for most blocked shots

Sportsnet Staff @SportsnetNovember 27, 2021 - 10:37pm

Kris Russell talks about beating the Golden Knights and setting the record for blocked shots.

Edmonton Oilers defenceman Kris Russell broke an NHL record Saturday night when he blocked his 1,999th shot in a game against the Vegas Golden Knights. He now is the all-time leader in that category.

"It's a commitment from a player to put his body on the line to help the team win & there's something to be said for that."

Congrats to Kris Russell on setting the @NHL record for blocked shots during tonight's first when he hit 1999 in 891 games!https://t.co/ZKVr0gWbGw

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) November 28, 2021

Russell, 34, broke into the league with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2007-08 and has been willingly getting in the way of shots ever since. In an NHL career that also included stops in St. Louis, Calgary and Dallas, Russell regularly led his team in blocked shots.

His best season was 2014-15, when he blocked an amazing 283 shots while with the Flames.

With his blocks against the Golden Knights, Russell passed former Chicago Blackhawks defenceman Brent Seabrooke, who was at 1,998. Seabrooke ended his career in March because of nagging shoulder and hip injuries.

The next active player on the all-time shots-blocked list is Russell’s injured teammate, Duncan Keith, who is at 1,925.

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