Hitting a major milestone the hard way, the physical defenseman took the ice for his 1,000 th NHL game during Wednesday’s 3-0 win over the Los Angeles Kings at Amerant Bank Arena. Joining a special club, Kulikov is just the 402nd skater to hit that lofty mark in NHL history.

Now that I’m coming up on 1,000, it still doesn’t make sense. It seems like I just started last year and now it’s Year 16.’

A few days before Dmitry Kulikov made his NHL debut with the Florida Panthers, general manager Randy Sexton had some high praise for his new defenseman. “I think Dmitry is going to be a core part of our organization for several years to come,

SUNRISE, Fla. – Florida Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov is skating in his 1,000th National Hockey League regular season game tonight vs. the Los Angeles Kings. The Panthers will honor Kulikov’s milestone in a pregame ceremony prior to Florida’s 6 p.m. (ET) game against the New York Islanders on Sunday, Feb. 2 at Amerant Bank Arena.

Dmitry Kulikov has finally gotten his time in the spotlight. Skating in his 1,000 career game Wednesday versus the Los Angeles Kings, the veteran blue-liner

SUNRISE, Fla. – Take a bow, Dmitry Kulikov. When the Florida Panthers host the Los Angeles Kings at Amerant Bank Arena on Wednesday, the veteran defenseman will suit up in the 1,000 th game of his career. A special milestone, he will become the 402nd skater to hit that mark in NHL history.