Bouwmeester consecutive games streak comes to an end

Defenseman missed game against Winnipeg with 

lower-body injury, ending streak at 737 regular season games

By LOU KORAC
It wasn't because of a crushing hit, getting tangled up with another player or getting hit with a 100 mile-per-hour slap shot trying to block a puck.

It was a crack in the ice, and because of it, Jay Bouwmeester will miss a National Hockey League regular season game for the first time since the 2003-04 season.

Bouwmeester was not in the lineup Sunday during the Blues' 4-2 victory against the Winnipeg Jets, and thus ended the longest current 'Ironman Streak' in professional sports at 737 straight regular season games.

(St. Louis Blues photo)

Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester (19) saw his 'Ironman Streak' come

to an end at 737 consecutive regular season games Sunday.

Bouwmeester sustained a lower-body injury late in the third period of the Blues' 3-2 victory Saturday against the Ottawa Senators.

Including the playoffs, Bouwmeester played in 749 straight games but only the regular season streak of games count towards the record.

Blues coach Ken Hitchcock told reporters after the win Saturday that Bouwmeester stepped on a crack in the ice and was to be evaluated Sunday morning, where Bouwmeester received treatment to no avail. Replays showed it happened near the offensive zone blue line.

Kirkwood native Chris Butler stepped into the lineup and made his Blues debut.

Bouwmeester, 31, last missed a game on March 3, 2004 when he blocked a shot playing for the Florida Panthers and has appeared in all 82 games of a season ever since. Bouwmeester played in 47 games during the lockout-shortened season in 2012-13 because when he was traded to the Blues, the Blues' game that night had already started and it occurred prior to the Calgary Flames' game that night against the Edmonton Oilers.

Bouwmeester, who has 346 points in 866 career games, has averaged 25 minutes, 5 seconds of ice time in his career.

Anaheim's Andrew Cogliano took the reigns as the new leader that now stands at 562 games after playing against Arizona on Sunday night.