Ageless Giordano
(Photo by John E. Sokolowski, USA TODAY Sports)
Fresh off of his 19th season in the NHL, Mark Giordano has made it clear that he is not done with his hockey journey. As he approaches his 41st birthday, coinciding with the start of the 2024-25 season, the veteran leader is confident his age will not hinder him, and he plans to continue his long career.
This illusterous career is even more impressive considering Giordano went undrafted. He played in both the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) before becoming a regular with the Calgary Flames. Giordano became a 15-year staple on the Flames blueline before being selected in the 2021 NHL Expansion draft by the Seattle Kraken. He was then traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he played this past season. Unfortunately, he was unable to crack the lineup in the 7 postseason games versus the Boston Bruins.
While no one can argue that Giordano is a skilled defenseman, it is his leadership he is known for. He captained the Calgary Flames for 8 years, following up the hall of fame leadership of Jarome Iginla. He also briefly captained the Seattle Kraken, prior to his trade to Toronto. He won the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award in 2019-20 and the NHL Foundation Player Award in 2015-16. Giordano also won the James Norris Memorial Trophy in the 2018-19 season for his outstanding defensive play.
Mark Giordano has played 1,148 games in the NHL, and agent Rich Winter told the Toronto Sun, “He clearly wants to play.” Winter also added that, “Mark has made the decision that he’s playing for a few more years.” While he gave no indication where the unrestricted free agent will be playing this next season, he was adamant that his clients’ journey is far from over.
Despite the NHL’s game style trending to favor the younger players, Giordano’s dedication and leadership allow him to remain valuable asset to teams. His story continues to inspire both veteran players and young prospects, proving that with the right mindset and work ethic, age is just a number in professional sports.
