As competitive as they come, Jonathan Quick’s 700 games played the latest step in a historic career

Competitive.

The first word that comes to mind when talking about Jonathan Quick. Competitive.

Quick is insanely athletic. He’s insanely talented. He’s been incredibly successful over an extended period of time during an award and championship-winning career. But, when you asked his teammates, coaches and management about him, it’s his competitive level that has surfaced the most.

“I think the thing that really stands out with Jonathan is his competitiveness,” Kings General Manager Rob Blake said. “I think fans and players from around the league see it on a daily basis, but the players see it a little bit differently, because it’s all about the team with him. On the ice, a fierce competitor, a guy that will do anything to get the win and at the end of the day, I think that’s what matters most to him, actually I know that’s what matters most to him. That’s what’s made him so special.”

If you ask Jonathan Quick what statistic matters the most to him, he would answer with the only statistic that matters to him at all – wins.

He’s long called wins a team statistic, same as he has for shutouts. It’s never about the individual, but always about the team and the team’s performance.

That’s why this week might be a little out of the norm for the veteran goaltender. Recently, Quick made his 700th career appearance at the NHL level, with his teammates taking the ice in “700” hats during warmups. Over the last few years, Quick has been a part of ceremonies honoring his long-time teammates in Dustin Brown, Jeff Carter, Anze Kopitar and most recently, Drew Doughty just earlier this season.

Now, for a man who always points to the team first, the spotlight is shined brightly on him and his individual accomplishments and as well-deserved as it is, it’s still about the team from his perspective.

“We’ve been through a lot together, especially the four of us,” Quick said. “It’s special. When they’re getting those moments, I’m happy for them and their families and then when you’re involved in it, you don’t want to be the center of attention, because you’ve got a game to play, but it was exciting and great we were able to get the win. That’s the number-one key there.”

It’s the last part of that quote that embodies Quick perfectly. We’ve got a game to play.

A game to play that, have you, the Kings won while missing five of their six defensemen who were in front of Quick during his season debut. On that night, perhaps it was the will of the goaltender that helped instill a resolve in his young teammates. Facing the Florida Panthers, the league’s highest-scoring team, the Kings surrendered just two goals, as they fought back late in the third period to force overtime. The will and drive the Kings exemplified in that game embodied their goaltender perfectly. Competitive, comprehensive and stubborn in the best of ways.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, to this day, he’s one of the best that will go down not just in Kings history, but league history,” Kopitar said of Quick. “You talk about how competitive he is, we all see it. Sometimes he’s breaking sticks in practice, that’s how competitive he is. I’m sure other goalies do it, but if I have to pick one guy to win a hockey game for us, it’s between the two guys we have.”

Winning games has been the thing Quick has done best over the years.

He’s won 352 of them to be exact, 24th most all-time and one victory shy of tying another Kings great in Rogie Vachon, as well as long-time San Jose netminder Evgeni Nabokov for 22nd. Just three American goaltenders have won more games than Quick and those totals don’t even include his postseason prowess. Quick is also in the Top-25 all-time in playoff wins, with the fourth-best save percentage amongst netminders with at least 85 games played.

As McLellan was quick – no pun intended – to point out, none of that postseason success, which also includes two championships and a Conn Smythe Trophy, is even included in those 700 and 350 figures.

“It’s remarkable, really,” McLellan said. “Quickie has played a hard 700, those 700 don’t include all of those runs in the playoffs and all of that other stuff. The milestones for players, they should include all of those other games, because what’s Quick at then, 775, almost to 800?”

How he’s achieved those figures, playing his way through a long, hard career, and how he’s reached those heights has been all about that combination of athleticism and competitiveness.

As McLellan went on to say, you don’t get to the level that Quick has without being an immensely talented athlete, on competition alone, but his competitiveness is an “elite secondary attribute.” Those who are closest to him understand that balance between immense physical skill and his burning, competitive drive.

Doughty has seen first hand the physical gifts that Quick possesses.

“It’s easy for me, I know that I can mess up and he’s going to save my butt, I can’t even explain how many times he’s saved my butt from making a mistake or missing coverage,” he said. “It’s really easy to play in front of a goalie like that, that you have full confidence in, because you’re not worried about making mistakes. When you’re worrying about making mistakes, that’s when you make them, but because of him, I just wasn’t worried. He made it so much easier for us to play.”

On the other hand, it’s been that competitiveness that has always stuck out on top of the ability. While Doughty knows how impressive Quick has been on the ice as a goaltender, he’s also seen the man behind the mask.

He’s seen the raw emotion, but also the channeled emotion, with both leading to the player that Kings fans have seen for years.

“He wears his heart on his sleeve,” Doughty said. “He can control his emotions, but he shows them to us, that’s something that has always pushed us, how competitive he is and how badly he wants to win games, and not lose. That’s helped carry our team to success in the past.”

Doughty added that Quick isn’t the most vocal player in the Kings locker room, but when he speaks, “every single guy in the room is listening.” The person that Quick is, on and off the ice, is one that inspires teammates. His competitive nature to win, just as much as it is not to lose, has been a driving force for the Kings over his entire career, one that has endeared him to teammates over the years.

“Looking back at playing that many games, you just think about how many great relationships you’ve made over the years, teammates, coaches, trainers that you’ve been with forever,” Quick said. “I just feel fortunate to have all of those memories with those guys.”

That group has included Quick, Doughty, Kopitar and Brown through two championships and a lot of games in between. The latter three have been recognized for their longevity over the years and tomorrow evening, it will be Quick’s turn for his moment with friends and family as he’s honored for a memorable moment.

If you ask him though, while allowing himself just a moment to think about the bigger picture, it’s not the time to reflect on individual accomplishments. When asked if he took any time to reflect back on when it all began, he smiled and said “a few years ago, back when it was called STAPLES.” Beyond that though, the focus was all on the here and now, mostly on the two points the Kings had just earned, and the two points up for grabs next time out.

“Obviously, that crosses your mind, but we had a game to play and that’s the focus, preparing, trying to help them get the two points,” he said. “I don’t think it’s the time. We play again in two days, you move on, we’re still in the middle of the season here and we’re getting towards the end. Every point is important here, it’s huge, so that’s the focus.”

Wouldn’t have it any other way.

*The Kings will honor Quick in a pre-game ceremony tomorrow, with fans encouraged to be in their seats by 6:45 for the ceremony