<P> The National Hockey League (NHL) is a major professional ice hockey league which operates in Canada and the United States . Since its inception in 1917--18, 313 players have played at least 1,000 regular season games, varying in amounts between Gordie Howe's 1,767 to Bernie Federko and Henrik Zetterberg's 1,000 . Of these players, a number have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame . </P> <P> Thirty of the listed players have played for only one franchise . Four of those players played exclusively for the Montreal Canadiens and five played for the Detroit Red Wings, those teams having the most such players . The record for most teams played for by a player who has competed in over 1,000 games is held by Mike Sillinger, who played for 12 teams in his career; Sillinger played his 1,000 th game with his 12th and final NHL team, the New York Islanders . Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur are the only goaltenders with at least 1,000 games played . Roy spent his career with the Canadiens and the Colorado Avalanche while Brodeur played for the New Jersey Devils and his final seven games with the St. Louis Blues . </P>

Who has played the longest in the nhl