Blue Jackets' Adam Fantilli, Mathieu Olivier and others react to Erik Gudbranson's 800-game milestone

A veteran defenseman of 14 NHL seasons, Erik Gudbranson skated in his 800th NHL game on Tuesday, and his Blue Jackets teammates couldn’t be more thrilled.

Gudbranson was activated off injured reserve on March 24 after being sidelined for 66 games due to a shoulder injury that he suffered during the home opening loss to the Panthers on Oct. 15.

NHL: Florida Panthers at Columbus Blue Jackets - Source: Imagn

The Ottawa native reached the 800-game milestone in the 5-2 win on home ice against the Senators, and he had an assist on Mathieu Olivier’s goal in the second period.

After the record game, Olivier and fellow teammates Adam Fantilli and Cole Sillinger showed their support for Gudbranson on their Instagram stories. All three players shared the same photo from the Blue Jackets' official account.

(via Instagram/@mattolivier24)

The caption from the official post of the Blue Jackets' Instagram read:

“IT'S GREAT NIGHT TO BE GUDDY!”

Guddy was drafted in the first round by Florida in 2010 and has played for eight different teams, including Vancouver and Pittsburgh. He has recorded 135 points (34 goals, 101 assists) over his NHL career.

Gudbranson with Florida on April 4, 2016 - Source: Imagn

The Blue Jackets (35-22-9) have 79 points through 77 games and are not yet eliminated from the playoffs, but they have an uphill battle to clinch a spot. Columbus has five games left to play this season, and Montreal is eight points ahead of them for the second seed in the Eastern Conference wild card chase.

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Erik Gudbranson undergoes shoulder surgery

Erik Gudbranson underwent successful surgery to repair his injured shoulder on Oct. 22. The 6-foot-5 defenseman was injured during the third game of the season on Oct.10 in the 4-3 loss to the Panthers.

The Blue Jackets staff reported that general manager Don Waddell stayed optimistic while announcing the successful surgery.

“Erik had successful shoulder surgery on Monday and is expected to make a full recovery,” said Waddell. “While he will miss a significant amount of time, we know he will work extremely hard during his rehab and will continue to be an important part of our leadership group.”

After missing 66 games, Gudbranson, a veteran of 14 NHL seasons, returned to the ice on March 24. He skated in 18 shifts and supplied three hits as the Blue Jackets defeated the host, Islanders, 4-3 in the shootout.