Doug Jarvis
Four-time Stanley Cup winner and former NHL iron man record holder.
Doug Jarvis is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played for the Montreal Canadiens, Washington Capitals, and Hartford Whalers in the National Hockey League. He never missed a regular season game during his NHL career, which ran from 1975 to 1987, and he held the league’s longest iron man streak from 1986 until 2022. He has also worked as an assistant coach for the Boston Bruins and is currently a senior advisor for the Vancouver Canucks.
Jarvis started his hockey career with the Peterborough Petes of the OHA, where he took key faceoffs and boosted the team’s special teams. The Petes were chosen to represent Canada at the 1974 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, the first edition of that tournament, and Jarvis scored four goals in five games as Canada won bronze. After a 133-point season in 1974–75, he was named to the OMJHL First All-Star Team. The Toronto Maple Leafs selected him 24th overall in the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft, but he was immediately traded to the Montreal Canadiens for Greg Hubick.
Jarvis made the Canadiens as a 20-year-old rookie in 1975–76, playing every game that season. He spent seven years in Montreal, forming a top penalty-killing duo with Bob Gainey, who won the first four Frank J. Selke Trophies. Jarvis won four straight Stanley Cups with the Canadiens from 1976 to 1979, and in 1980–81 he scored over 20 goals for the first time. In September 1982, he was part of a six-player trade that sent him, Brian Engblom, Rod Langway, and Craig Laughlin to the Washington Capitals for Rick Green and Ryan Walter. The former Canadiens helped solidify Washington’s defense and turned the Capitals into contenders. Jarvis won the Frank J. Selke Trophy in 1983–84 for his two-way play.
Halfway through the 1985–86 season, he was traded to the Hartford Whalers for Jorgen Pettersson. In Hartford, he set the NHL record for most consecutive games played at 964, breaking Garry Unger’s mark of 914, and earned the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 1986–87. Keith Yandle surpassed that record in the 2021–22 season. In 1987–88, the Whalers sent Jarvis to the minors to make room for Brent Peterson as the top checking centre; he played 24 games with the Binghamton Whalers before retiring.
After retiring, Jarvis became an assistant coach for the Minnesota North Stars under Pierre Page.
Quick Facts
- Height
- 5 ft 9 in
- Weight
- 170 lb
- Position
- Centre
- Shoots
- Left
- Played for
- Montreal Canadiens; Washington Capitals; Hartford Whalers
- Born
- 24 March 1955
- Birthplace
- Brantford, Ontario, Canada
- Draft
- 24th overall
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Jarvis began his hockey career with the Peterborough Petes in the OHA, where he took important faceoffs and strengthened special teams. He played for Team Canada at the 1974 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, scoring four goals in five games and winning a bronze medal. After a 133-point season in 1974–75, he was selected to the OMJHL First All-Star Team and drafted 24th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1975, but was immediately traded to the Montreal Canadiens for Greg Hubick.
Jarvis won a spot on the Canadiens as a 20-year-old rookie in 1975–76, playing every game that season. He spent seven years with Montreal, teaming with Bob Gainey to form one of the league's top penalty-killing units. He was part of four consecutive Stanley Cup championships from 1976 to 1979. In 1980–81, he broke the 20-goal mark for the first time.
In September 1982, Jarvis was traded to the Washington Capitals in a six-player blockbuster deal that also sent Brian Engblom, Rod Langway, and Craig Laughlin to Washington for Rick Green and Ryan Walter. He helped solidify the Capitals' defense and turned them into a Stanley Cup contender. In 1983–84, he won the Frank J. Selke Trophy for outstanding two-way play. Halfway through the 1985–86 season, he was traded to the Hartford Whalers for Jorgen Pettersson, where he set the NHL record for most consecutive games played at 964, breaking Garry Unger's record of 914. He was awarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 1986–87. In 1987–88, he was sent to the minors and played 24 games with the Binghamton Whalers before retiring.
Reader's Guide
Doug Jarvis's significance lies in his remarkable durability and defensive excellence. He never missed a regular season game in his NHL career, a streak of 964 consecutive games that stood as the NHL record from 1986 until 2022. His iron man streak earned him the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 1987. As a player, he was a key defensive forward, winning the Frank J. Selke Trophy in 1984 and forming a top penalty-killing duo with Bob Gainey in Montreal. He was part of four consecutive Stanley Cup championships with the Canadiens and later helped transform the Washington Capitals into a contender after a major trade in 1982. After his playing career, Jarvis became an assistant coach for the Minnesota North Stars (later Dallas Stars), helping them reach the Stanley Cup Final in 1991 and win the Cup in 1999. He also served as an assistant coach for the Montreal Canadiens and the Boston Bruins, winning another Stanley Cup with Boston in 2011. He later worked as an assistant coach and then senior advisor for the Vancouver Canucks.
Did You Know?
- Doug Jarvis held the NHL record for most consecutive games played (964) from 1986 until 2022.
- He was a member of four consecutive Stanley Cup-winning teams with the Montreal Canadiens from 1976 to 1979.
- Jarvis won the Frank J. Selke Trophy in 1984 as the NHL's best defensive forward.
More in Washington Capitals Players 1-24
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