It only took a few thousand games.
After 18 seasons, Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton are headed to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in their careers.
The San Jose Sharks clinched their first appearance in the final in their history Wednesday night, ending two long droughts for the Canadian veterans. Marleau played 1,411 regular-season games before reaching the final, while Thornton played 1,367.
"I can't imagine the crap that's been written about them," head coach Peter DeBoer said after his team's big win, according to Yahoo Sports' Josh Cooper.
Patrick Marleau has played more playoff games (165) than anyone in NHL history before their 1st Stanley Cup Final. pic.twitter.com/IE2qusEhw9
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 26, 2016
Marleau and Thornton played a combined 3,093 regular-season and playoff games before being one of the final two teams standing in the spring.
"These guys have been waiting 25 years for this," Thornton said of the organization and fans. "Obviously I've been waiting a long time, too. It's pretty sweet."
Worth the wait, we're sure everyone involved would say.
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