Known “A Thousand Miles” pianist, Vanessa Carlton, showed her appreciation for hockey by celebrating the Washington Capitals player, John Carlson’s milestone game. On Saturday, March 30, Carlson took part in his 1,000th regular-season NHL game, playing against the Boston Bruins. The 34-year old player became the 128th defenseman in the history of the NHL to achieve this milestone. Carlton, in tribute to Carlson’s feat, performed a remix of her song with lyrics geared towards Carlson’s achievement and career.
Carlton began her performance with the lyrics, “Making his way downtown / Johnny C. / The DMV / And he’s rink-bound.” The singer went on to highlight Carlson’s contributions to the Capitals, including helping them secure the Stanley Cup in 2018 during his 14 seasons with the team.
The reimagined chorus highlighted the valuable time Carlson has spent with the team, “Brought to the Caps in the year ’08, we watched him score/ We watched him skate/ And you know he’ll hit/ A thousand games/ If we just wait for…/ Tonight.”
The Washington Capitals made a humorous remark on the coincidence of the names Carlson and Carlton, “Did you think a Carlson/Carlton crossover would pass us by?”
John Carlson’s Career History with the Washington Capitals
In the history of the NHL, Carlson is the 80th player to have played 1,000 games with a single team. The Capitals spotted Carlson’s talent back in 2008 and made their move to draft him. He officially joined the team the following year. Since the NHL began tracking time on the ice in 1997, Carlson has played the 41st-most minutes of any player.
Vanessa Carlton’s Career
Vanessa Carlton won the hearts of many with her hit song “A Thousand Miles”, released as part of her debut album, Be Not Nobody in February 2002. The song reached No.5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent a total of 41 weeks on the chart.
In addition to music, Carlton took on the role of Carole King in the Broadway musical Beautiful, based on the life of the renowned singer-songwriter in 2019.
In an interview with Billboard, Carlton shared her feelings about moving to Broadway, describing the process as “the most exhilarating process I’ve ever been a part of. It’s terrifying and overwhelming-awesome in an equal measure.”
Wrapping Up
In this massive celebration of John Carlson’s career milestone in the NHL, Vanessa Carlton’s revised performance of “A Thousand Miles” paid an ode to his legacy. Her adaptation of the song and public display of enthusiasm has brought a new dimension to the appreciation of the sport. For more exhilarating and current updates, visit HitPlay.