Numbers in the thirties were seen as "safe" for goaltenders, since most numbers below thirty were already spoken for by forwards and defensemen (remember that "high numbers" were essentially-unheard of at this time).
30: Lundqvist, Miller and Ward. The stars: New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, Vancouver Canucks netminder Ryan Miller and Carolina Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward are the notable NHL stars wearing No. 30. Miller won the Vezina Trophy in 2010 with the Buffalo Sabres and was name to that year's First All-Star team.
It was determined that the goalie required the best nights rest so he was given first choice, as a result he wore #1. Then the rest of the players picked in order of number. The back up goalie was determined to need the least so he wore what at the time was determined to be the highest number or last choice 30 or 31.
35, 40– 6 players each. 41– 5 players. 70– 4 players. 32, 33, 34, 37–3 players each.
3, 2011, and played seven seasons in the League, including winning the Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015 (wearing No. 11). Fun fact: Desjardins and forward Melvin Angelstad (two games with the Washington Capitals in 2003-04) are the only players in NHL history to wear No. 69.
99 is retired throughout the NHL not only because he is considered the greatest player in League history, but because the number and his name are synonymous. Though there is no debate over who the best player to wear that number is, there are 98 other numbers with more than one worthy candidate.
Seattle Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke addressed the crowd before the game, congratulating them for their 32,000 ticket deposits made in a single day at the birth of the franchise. "You did it. And we will never, ever forget," Leiweke said. "And tonight, we will retire the number 32.
The NFL joins the NBA, WNBA and MLB as major American sports leagues to let players wear No. 0. The NHL used to permit the number on the ice, but it banned the number starting with the 1996-97 season since Nos. 0 and 00 confused the league's digital database.
Today, if a player did wear number 66, it would feel like 66 tons of weight on his back. It's a number they would have to live up to. It's a number they know they couldn't live up to. No player has worn number 66 full-time since Vancouver's Gino Odjick in 1991.
The rules of the IIHF, NHL and Hockey Canada do not permit goaltenders to be designated as on-ice captains, due to the logistical challenge of having the goaltender relay rules discussions between referees and coaches and then return to the crease.
No. 0. What's even rarer than the double-zero is the single zero in the NHL. Only one man has worn this number, and most likely you've never heard of him.
0 — with Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Calvin Ridley announcing shortly thereafter that he would switch to the number. The NHL formerly allowed players to wear both No. 0 and 00, but nobody has worn either since Marty Biron suited up for the Buffalo Sabres in 1995–96 with the double-zero on his back.
Many goalies wore the number one but the late Johnny Bower takes the top spot. As a four-time Stanley Cup Champion, a two-time Vezina Trophy winner, an all-star and a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, Bower will forever remain a symbol of excellence for the Toronto Maple Leafs organization.
Numbers in the thirties were seen as "safe" for goaltenders, since most numbers below thirty were already spoken for by forwards and defensemen (remember that "high numbers" were essentially-unheard of at this time).
30 retired by the Buffalo Sabres on Jan. 19, before a game against the New York Islanders. The 41-year-old goalie retired from hockey after playing for the Anaheim Ducks last season. He played 11 of his 18 seasons for the Sabres.
It's believed that goalies were given the No. 1 because they were the first player on a rink when looking from the net outward. When a goalie was injured, for instance, the replacement goalie would also wear No. 1.
99 – The Great One
Unless you are the Great One, this number is completely off limits to any hockey player anywhere in the known universe. It is retired in the NHL, and pretty much around any hockey leagues in North America, and quite likely in the whole world.
It was with the Greyhounds that Gretzky first wore the number 99 on his jersey. He originally wanted to wear number 9—for his hockey hero Gordie Howe—but it was already being worn by teammate Brian Gualazzi. At coach Muzz MacPherson's suggestion, Gretzky settled on 99.
Jersey numbers are so important because it's how fans identify their favourite athletes. For example, Number 99 is synonymous with one player, and one player only. Other players have worn the number 99, but Gretzky is the only player who fans identify as '99. '
One reason for the decline in viewership may be the lack of a national broadcast deal in the United States. Currently, games are split between several different networks, making it harder for fans to access and follow their favourite teams.
It's another method to promote the program and awareness that checking from behind is not acceptable in hockey. The STOP Program patch and helmet decal's purpose is a visual reminder for players for when they see the STOP symbol, they should immediately STOP from hitting the opposing player from behind.
The NFL joins the NBA, WNBA and MLB as major American sports leagues to let players wear No. 0. The NHL used to permit the number on the ice, but it banned the number starting with the 1996-97 season since Nos. 0 and 00 confused the league's digital database.
Wayne Gretzky, one of the greatest NHL players, once revealed that he could not face his rivals' actions toward the end of his career. This action led Gretzky to make a crucial decision. Wayne Gretzky knew when to retire. It was not just a feeling that his body had weakened, but was also the need of the hour.
Only once in Gretzky's entire career did he finish a season with fewer points than one of his teammates—the 1992-93 NHL season when he played just 45 games, scoring 65 points.
91 would have been in the 1960s. In those days hockey players wore low numbers, that's just what they did. And when the Los Angeles Kings drafted Butch Goring in the fifth round (51st overall) of the 1969 Entry Draft, selecting his sweater number was one of those giant blunders.