Roman Josi is on the doorstep of a milestone that only the most durable, consistent, and elite players ever reach: 1,000 NHL games. And if you ask those who’ve skated alongside him, coached him, or simply watched him evolve, it’s no surprise he’s gotten here-not just because of his talent, but because of how he’s always approached the game.
Josi didn’t just show up in the NHL ready to dominate. He absorbed everything around him. That open-mindedness, that willingness to learn from everyone-stars and grinders alike-is what’s helped shape him into not only the best player Switzerland has ever produced, but one of the premier defensemen of his generation.
“He wants to see everything,” said former NHL defenseman Hal Gill. “He was around Shea Weber, Mike Fisher-guys who didn’t always need to say much.
You just watched how they carried themselves, how they worked in the gym, how they prepared. Josi picked up on all of that.”
It’s one thing to have the tools. It’s another to know how to sharpen them.
Josi’s always been a student of the game, and that curiosity has paid off in spades. He studied the way veterans handled themselves, not just the stars but the role players too.
He respected the grind, the little things that don’t show up on the scoresheet but matter just as much over the course of a season.
And now, with 1,000 games nearly in the books, Josi isn’t just a captain or a cornerstone for the Predators-he’s a model of what it looks like when talent meets humility and work ethic.
Shea Weber, who shared the blue line with Josi during his early years in Nashville, saw the growth firsthand.
“I loved playing with him,” Weber said. “He made my life easy, and hopefully I did the same for him.
Our games just fit. But what really stood out was that he wasn’t some young guy coming in thinking he had it all figured out.
He listened, he learned, and now his game’s at an all-star level.”
That humility, that team-first mentality-it’s why Josi is so respected in the locker room and around the league. Whether it’s scoring an overtime winner, laying out to block a shot, or just sipping his chocolate milk postgame, he’s always been the same guy: steady, focused, and in love with the game.
So as Roman Josi approaches game No. 1,000, it’s not just a number. It’s a testament to the way he’s carried himself every step of the way. A leader who learned from the best, and became one of the best in the process.