Wayne Gretzky started wearing the No. 99 when numbers higher than 30 were almost unheard of for pro hockey players. Gretzky, while playing for the Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League in 1977-78, wanted No. 9 in honor of his idol, Gordie Howe.
Beside the above, why did Gretzky pick 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.
Amazingly, who wore 99 before Gretzky? Joe Lamb, Desse Roche and Leo Bourgeault all played for and wore the # 99 for the Canadiens during the 1934-35 season. Joe Lamb was the first to wear it before he was traded, and then Desse Roche before he was traded, and then finally Bourgeault. The next two players who wore number 99 came much, much later.
Also the question is, what does the number 99 mean in hockey? The Hockey News. Wayne Gretzky’s No. 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.
Also, can anyone wear 99 in the NHL? 99 – The Great One It is retired in the NHL, and pretty much around any hockey leagues in North America, and quite likely in the whole world. There has never been, and probably will never be a player of this caliber again. It is pretty funny, in a terrible way, to see someone wearing a 99 in a beer league hockey game.98 is the rarest number in NHL history. Only three players have worn it – Brian Lawton, Jesse Puljujarvi, and Mikhail Sergachev.
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.
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 69 in the NHL?
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.
What is the least used number in NHL?
- 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.
Who wore 99 in hockey?
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.
Is Gretzky number retired by NHL?
Wayne Gretzky. Gretzky retired from professional play after the 1998–99 season and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1999. His career totals include 2,857 points and 894 goals. The NHL retired his jersey number (99) after his final game.
Why did Gretzky retire?
Gretzky did state his desire to move back to California and spend time with his family. But at the time, there were already three teams in that state from which to choose, including a return to the Los Angeles Kings. There may have been still other reasons motivating his retirement.
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.
Can you wear 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.
Why did Gordie Howe wear 9?
15 when he joined the Habs in 1942. However, he changed the next season to No. 9 in honour of his daughter, Huguette, who weighed nine pounds at birth. When Howe joined the Red Wings in 1946-47, he first wore No.
Who wore 88 in NHL?
Patrick Kane is the best player to ever wear No. 88 in NHL history, according to an NHL.com panel. The Blackhawks star right wing edged out center Eric Lindros for the top spot with 51 points to the Flyers legend’s 41 points across 19 voters.
Who is number 97 in hockey?
97 — Connor McDavid. The skinny: Appropriately, McDavid has 97 points (34 goals, 63 assists) in 64 games this season, second in the NHL behind teammate Leon Draisaitl’s 110. He also has the most points since entering the League in 2015-16 (Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks is second with 465 points).
What jersey number is Connor McDavid?
13, 1997, Connor McDavid wears No. 97 on his jersey — not unlike the choice Sidney Crosby made. The Pittsburgh Penguins’ star centre, was born in 1987, and is the owner of the number 87.
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.
Why does Sidney Crosby wear 87?
- Crosby has made uniform No. 87 famous (he was born on 8-7-87), but he’s not the only NHL player to wear it.
