Tanaka sets OHL record

By Aaron Bell

 

Cory Tanaka of the Belleville Bulls has established a new record that will be difficult to beat.

 

The overage centre played in his 329th career game on Sunday against the Brampton Battalion to edge the previous mark set by Cody Thornton, who played five OHL seasons with the Belleville Bulls and Sault Ste, Marie Greyhounds from 2002 through 2007.

 

Prior to that, Nick Lees played 327 games with Oshawa, Guelph, Barrie and Saginaw through 2004 and Jesse Gimblett tied that mark with Owen Sound and Saginaw through 2006.

 

If Tanaka plays the balance of the Bulls’ regular season games, he will establish the new career record of 337 games played. The most games that a player could play in a five-year career is 340.

 

“I’ve only missed three games in five years,” Tanaka said. “It’s just good luck I guess. I’ve been fortunate not to have any serious injuries and I’ve just been in good shape. I work hard in the off-season and during the hockey season so hopefully I can stay healthy and just continue this season.”

 

Tanaka was a second round pick of the Plymouth Whalers in 2004 and played 67 games in his rookie season, scoring 10 goals and 21 points. Tanaka was traded to the Bulls partway through his second OHL season and played 67 games that season as well. He didn’t miss a game in the next two seasons with the Bulls, helping the team to the Eastern Conference championship series in 2007 and to the OHL championship series and Memorial Cup last season. On Sunday, he played in his 59 game of the season after missing one game in January.

 

The 20-year-old from Stouffville has also played in 46 playoff games and will add to that total this season.

 

“The team is looking good right now,” Tanaka said. “We’re battling hard right now and we’re playing as hard as we can hoping to make a deep run again.”

 

Tanaka has scored a career-high 15 goals this season to go along with 29 assists for 44 points in 58 games. In 328 career games, he has 53 goals and 112 assists for 165 points to go along with 217 penalty minutes and a plus-33 plus-minus record.

 

He admitted that he’s known about the record coming up but didn’t spend a lot of time thinking about it.

 

“When it’s over I will try to look back at all the memories of playing,” Tanaka said. “I’m just happy that I can be in the record books.”