Justin Faulk: Grit, grind and 1,000 NHL games

There’s something fitting about Justin Faulk playing in his 1,000th NHL game in Toronto — one of hockey’s biggest stages — because his story has always been one of unwavering impact.

He’s the kind of player who never chases the spotlight but always seems to earn it — the defenseman who goes out and does the work, night after night, shift after shift.

Quiet. Consistent. Reliable.

Born in South St. Paul, Minnesota, Faulk learned to skate at just three years old. By age six, he was playing organized hockey, often against kids older and bigger than him. His path wasn’t always easy — he lost his father at a young age — but with the support of his mom, Gail, and his brother, David, he found his fuel early.

He doesn’t hesitate when asked who shaped him most.

“Ultimately, it boils down to my mom,” Faulk said. “She had to raise me and my brother…working multiple jobs, just trying to find ways to support us and ultimately give us everything she could. It taught me how to be resilient and work hard. There could always be worse days, and you can show up to the rink and move on from things.”

That mindset — resilience, perspective, and a quiet refusal to quit — became the backbone of his career. More than anything, he says, he just wanted to make her proud.

He did that — and then some.

By his mid-teens, Faulk’s drive was turning heads. After starring at South St. Paul High School, he joined the U.S. National Team Development Program, where he began sharpening the offensive instincts that would later define his game. Two seasons in Ann Arbor led him to the University of Minnesota-Duluth, where he set a school record for goals by a freshman defenseman and helped deliver the 2011 national championship. Months later, he was signing his first NHL contract with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Faulk arrived in the NHL at 19 — wide-eyed, eager, and, by his own admission, not quite ready.

“My first three games I was horrible,” he said with a laugh. “I got sent down after that…but honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing. It taught me to relax. When I came back up, Paul Maurice told me ‘Just relax and play. Don’t worry about that stuff.’ It taught me a lot for the future — when things go wrong, it’s okay. You can get through it.”

From there, he carved out what would become his trademark style: unassuming success. He made the NHL All-Rookie Team, became an All-Star at 20, an Olympian at 21, and a steadying presence for Team USA multiple times.

Ask anyone who’s shared a locker room with him, and they’ll tell you it’s not just the stat line — though 1,000 games and 468 career points, nearly a half-point-per-game pace for a defenseman, is no small feat. It’s the calm, the humor, the way he never seems rattled.

When he was traded to St. Louis in 2019, the Blues weren’t just getting a right-shot defenseman — they were getting a leader. One who could balance the room, eat big minutes and never make a fuss about it. A seven-year contract extension followed almost immediately, cementing him as part of the team’s core. Since then, he’s become one of the Blues’ most consistent players — now an alternate captain — and a quiet force whose presence anchors the group.

Yet behind the quiet confidence is a player who knows how much work it takes to get here.

“The physical part takes a toll,” he admitted. “I’m not the most physical guy in the world, but I like to play that way. It’s hard, but it’s rewarding. You show up, put in the work and the rewards happen later.”

He’s also seen what longevity looks like — and what it costs.

"You have to have a lot of things go right,” he said. “Injuries can mount up. We’ve had lockouts, COVID… a lot of things that can go against you. Something I pride myself on is trying to be healthy and available.”

Some of that he credits to the veterans he has played alongside.

“Guys like (Nick) Leddy and (Ryan) Suter — 1,500 games — you can see how they take care of themselves," Faulk said. "The work they put in, and you know it’s not easy. So being around guys like that, who help pave the way and show you how to do it, is a treat.”

And of course, his family will be part of the celebration.

“My mom’s flying to Toronto [on Tuesday]. We probably have different viewpoints — her as a parent, me as the stubborn son,” he joked. “My brother’s always been along for the ride, too. He’s the one doing the real hard work — he’s out in storms, putting up power lines. I get to come here and play hockey.”

As he skates out for game No. 1,000 on Nov. 18 against the Maple Leafs, it’s a moment to reflect — but not one he’ll make too much about. That’s just not his style.

“It’s a good experience…you just try to keep playing,” he said with a shrug and that classic Faulk grin.

But for those who’ve watched him grow from South St. Paul to UMD to the NHL — for his mom, his family, his teammates — it’s impossible not to feel the weight of it.

Now, it feels less like a milestone and more like a reflection of who Justin Faulk has always been — steady, selfless and the kind of player any team would be lucky to lean on. It’s a celebration not just of the games he’s played, but of the person he’s been through all of them.

A thousand games of grit, laughter, leadership and unassuming success.

And knowing him, he’s already focused on the next shift.