Once upon a time, Evgeni Nabokov was a ninth-round pick of the San Jose Sharks who arrived at development camp without any pads because he hadnt been allowed to bring along his goaltending gear. Authentic Osi Umenyiora Jersey. That was 12 years and 500 games ago. Nabokov reached the milestone Saturday night when he led the Sharks to a 4-1 win over the New York Islanders, then played in No. 501 -- and earned his 254th NHL win -- in San Joses 7-3 victory over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden Monday. Nabokov is now 36th on the all-time wins list for goaltenders. But with several years ahead of him and a power-packed club in front of him, its not impossible that Nabokov could climb into the top 10. "Its a testament to him," Sharks Assistant GM and former NHL goaltender Wayne Thomas told the teams Web site. "Hes had choices along the way and hes continued to be a Shark. The Sharks have been good for him and he has been good for the Sharks." Nabokov ranks fourth all-time in wins for a player who has played his entire career with one team. The only players ahead of him are Martin Brodeur, Turk Broda and Ken Dryden. He needs five more wins to pass Dryden, a teammate of Thomas for a time during the Montreal dynasty of the 1970s. Nabokov was taken in the ninth round in the 1994 Entry Draft and didnt win the full-time starting job until 2000-01, when he was in his mid-20s. Hes been among the NHLs most durable and successful goaltenders ever since. PACIFIC DIVISION NOTEBOOK Heatley not concerned with perception Dan Rosen - NHL.com Staff Writer In a sit-down with NHL.com, Dany Heatley talks about fresh starts, his exit from Ottawa and playing in the Western Conference. READ MORE › RELATED STORIES: Jersey boy Ryan comes home Stars have something to prove in 2009-10 Kopitar, Williams, Smyth find perfect fit Bryzgalov has made Coyotes a success With parents watching, Vesce gets first goal ALL DIVISION NOTES STORIES › "He wasnt being asked too much too soon," Thomas said. "I think we were patient and let John (an early nickname) develop. He was 25 by the time he took over the No. 1 job. A lot of guys get thrown in too early and are not allowed another chance." Hes No. 1 -- Its always nice to have your efforts recognized. That was the case this past week for Phoenix goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, whose 3-0-0 record with a shutout and just three goals allowed earned him the NHLs No. 1 star. Bryzgalov has been the Coyotes No. 1 star all season. He has a 5-1-0 record, a League-high two shutouts -- at Pittsburgh and San Jose -- and is tops among starting goaltenders with a 1.14 goals-against average and a .953 save percentage. "The whole team is battling hard in front of me, and it makes my job much easier," he told azcentral.com. "Relaxed? Maybe its just the beginning of the season, you know, my mind is fresh . . . maybe I dont know what I want." Bryzgalov has benefitted from the defense-first approach of new coach Dave Tippett, which has cut down on the number of shots he faces. But hes also been the last line of defense when mistakes are made in front of him. "When we have broken down, hes making some very big saves for us," Tippett said. Happy Birthday, Staples Center -- Its hard to believe, but the Staples Center turned 10 years old Tuesday. The Los Angeles Kings played their first game in their new home on Oct. 20, 1999, skating to a 2-2 tie with the Boston Bruins. Before that, the Kings had played at the Great Western Forum since midway through 1967-68, their first season in the NHL. According to the Kings, 6,453,865 (including playoffs) fans have come through the Staples Centers turnstiles and have seen their team record 181 wins (175 regular-season, six in the playoff) and score 1,095 goals (20 playoff goals). Kings fans have supported the team through ups and downs to the tune of 174 regular-season sellouts (plus 11 in the playoffs). Former Kings defenseman Mattias Norstroms 270 games are the most by any player. Alexander Frolov was tops with 81 goals, while Zigmund Palffy led all scorers with 186 points.