Is 99 retired in NHL?

Wayne Gretzky's number 99 was retired league-wide in 2000; Gretzky's former teams the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings also separately retired his number. As of March 2022, two teams have no retired numbers: the San Jose Sharks and Winnipeg Jets.

Why did the NHL retired 99?

99 has been retired across the NHL, unable to be worn by anyone in the league in honor of the game's most recognizable player and inarguably one its greatest. Gretzky is the only player with that honor, but, if it were up to him, he'd have some company.

Why can no one wear 99 in NHL?

99 – The Great One

There is not much to say there, it is a sacred hockey number. Unless you are the Great One, this number is completely off limits to any hockey player anywhere in the known universe.

Can hockey players wear 99?

Since the 1950-51 season, only three players are in the number 99 club, Gretzky, Rick Dudley and Wilf Paiement. Mel Angelstad and Andrew Desjardins are the only players since 1950 to wear Rob Gronkowski's favourite number.

Can NHL players wear 69?

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.

Can you wear 0 in NHL?

Beginning with the 1996-97 season, the NHL decreed that Nos. 0 and 00 could no longer be worn since they confused the League's digital database; today, only No. 1 through No. 98 are allowed, No.

Can you wear number 66 in the NHL?

No. 66 isn't retired League-wide like No. 99 is for Wayne Gretzky. Two players have worn it since Lemieux retired from the NHL in 2006: Ho-Sang and Calgary Flames defenseman TJ Brodie in 2010-11.

Was there a 99 before Gretzky?

There have been five players in the history of the NHL to wear the number 99 other than Wayne Gretzky. The first three came early on in the history of the league and the other two at the start of Gretzky's career. The first three players all played for the Montreal Canadiens and all wore the number 99 in the same year.

Who wore 99 before Gretzky?

The answer is 5 other players wore #99, including two who wore it at the same time as Gretzky in the early 1980s. The first occurrence of number 99 came way back during the 1934-1935 NHL season. The Montreal Canadians had three players wear #99: Joe Lamb, Desse Roche and Leo Bourgeault.

Was Gretzky always number 99?

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.

Who wore 00 in the NHL?

00 – John Davidson. Only two players have ever worn the double zeros in the NHL. John Davidson wore 00 for the New York Rangers during the 1977-78 season.

Why does Sidney Crosby wear 87?

Sidney Crosby has been connected to the number 87 since the day he was born, August 7, 1987 (8/7/87). Throughout his NHL career, he has chosen to connect himself to that number as well.

Who wears 74 in the NHL?

McKee has worn No. 74 for almost all of his career -- most of which has been spent blocking shots and doing everything else possible to keep the puck out of his own net. He has just 21 goals in 802 NHL games, but usually has been among the NHL's best shot-blockers. Poddubny wore No.

Why did the Kraken retire 32?

Before Saturday night's game against the Vancouver Canucks, Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke announced that the team would retire #32. This is because they are the league's 32nd franchise and wanted to honor the 32,000 fans who made deposits for season tickets the first day they were allowed to.

Who wears 98 in the NHL?

98 is the rarest number in NHL history. Only three players have worn it – Brian Lawton, Jesse Puljujarvi, and Mikhail Sergachev.

What is the least used number in NHL?

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.

Is Gretzky the greatest hockey player of all time?

The only player in NHL history to record 200 points in a single season, Gretzky achieved the feat a whopping four times during his career. He holds the record for most goals in a single season with a mind-boggling 92 red lights, and also the record for the fastest to 50 goals in a season in a ridiculous 39 games.

Who wears #9 in the NHL?

9 because of all the great players who have worn it in NHL history, from legends of the past like Gordie Howe, Maurice Richard and Bobby Hull, to stars of the more recent past like Glenn Anderson, Mike Modano and Paul Kariya.

Who wears 96 in the NHL?

96: Tomas Holmstrom

Forward Tomas Holmstrom spent all but 47 games of his NHL career, which lasted for 15 seasons and 1,026 regular season games, wearing number 96.

Who wears 79 in the NHL?

The number 79 has only been worn by six players in NHL history, and the only other household name to wear it is Andrei Markov.

Who wears 86 in the NHL?

Jack Hughes, the number one overall draft pick for the New Jersey Devils, has chosen number 86 for his NHL number. Hughes began his career with the US National Team Development Program wearing the number 6, which had been a family number.

Is 7 an illegal number in basketball?

Because of the N.C.A.A.'s longstanding Rule 1, Section 22, Article 7, Clause b. 2 — the little-known statute that prohibits college basketball players from wearing any of the numerals 6, 7, 8 or 9. Those are the numbers you will not see on a college basketball court.

Why do most goalies wear number 30?

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).