Gartner scores 700th

Mike Gartner has joined the very exclusive club of hockey players with over 700 career NHL goals. He is only the fifth player in NHL history to reach that milestone.

"It's been hovering there for a while," he said Sunday night after scoring at 10:41 of the first period in what turned out to be a 3-3 tie between the Phoenix Coyotes and the Detroit Red Wings. "Basically, after the last game I knew it was just a shot away.

Gartner played his first NHL game in 1979 with the Washington Capitals after being their first selection, fourth overall, in same year's entry draft.

"I would have been happy to get to 200, so I'm about 500 over what I thought when I first started playing," said Gartner, 38. "But I have a lot of hockey left. I'm sure I'll enjoy it more the day I retire and have time to reflect on it."

Gartner has scored 50 goals in a season only once (1984-85), but has never had under 30 goals except in the lockout shortened 1994-95 campaign.

The four other players to reach 700 goals are Wayne Gretzky (871), Gordie Howe (801) Marcel Dionne (731) and Phil Esposito (717).