OT: Jersey Numbers

[Seatoo]

I've always wondered why do a lot of fans and coaches hate what I guess you could describe as "high" numbers? I remember reading on the main board that some coaches make their players have "real numbers", also in the Carolina GDT there was a comment about 65 being a "bad jersey number". Also rookies & plugs get "bad numbers" too. What's the history/story here?

Click to read more...

 

[bottomlesspop]

hockey is all about tradition and in the old days your goalie was 1, your D were 2-6 and your F were the higher numbers under 30 (which is a backup goalie number)

hard to pull that off w 100 year old franchises with many retired numbers though

Plus, European players seem to have a different view of this

 

[Reign Nateo]

A high number generally means you're trying to separate yourself from the group, to get noticed, or stand out. Hockey being a team game, some hockey people don't want players putting themselves above the team, get assigned a number and get to work. Some don't care.

 

[BenningHurtsMySoul]

Some unique numbers are really clever (ex. Steve Heinze taking 57). Most look terrible. I mean, come on...62, 49, 90, 86, 74 etc. They all look like ****.

90 is the ugliest for me. 91 looks awesome though.

 

[Tanevian*]

Some unique numbers are really clever (ex. Steve Heinze taking 57).

That's actually not clever at all.

 

[bottomlesspop]

always wanted Mike Commodore to wear #64

 

[Wetcoaster]

I've always wondered why do a lot of fans and coaches hate what I guess you could describe as "high" numbers? I remember reading on the main board that some coaches make their players have "real numbers", also in the Carolina GDT there was a comment about 65 being a "bad jersey number". Also rookies & plugs get "bad numbers" too. What's the history/story here?

Hockey has sweaters not that 'Murican affectation of "jersey".

 

[Pip]

I find forwards wearing low numbers to be weirder tbh.

 

[Eddy Punch Clock]

I find forwards wearing low numbers to be weirder tbh.

I've said it before, Kassian doesn't suit #9.

Never thought Bieksa looked good in #3 either... I see that as a girly number for some reason..... prolly has something to do with my obsession with threesomes.

 

[bottomlesspop]

I find forwards wearing low numbers to be weirder tbh.

agreed. Joensuu and Ryan wearing #6 is just plain messed up.

Lecavalier gets a pass with his old #4 bc of the Beliveau homage I guess... but still c'mon.

 

[Pip]

Like no, just no.

 

[Eddy Punch Clock]

Like no, just no.

I've been doing too much math homework with my kids lately.

All I see in that picture is 9-3=6 and 6+3=9.

(unless Conacher is actually #89.....)

 

[Rotting Corpse*]

I've said it before, Kassian doesn't suit #9.

Never thought Bieksa looked good in #3 either... I see that as a girly number for some reason..... prolly has something to do with my obsession with threesomes.

I blame Sopel's hair.

 

[Street Hawk]

I've always wondered why do a lot of fans and coaches hate what I guess you could describe as "high" numbers? I remember reading on the main board that some coaches make their players have "real numbers", also in the Carolina GDT there was a comment about 65 being a "bad jersey number". Also rookies & plugs get "bad numbers" too. What's the history/story here?

Like you said, rookies get the high numbers. Even in a call up situation, some clubs just leave the call up with their pre-season number instead of giving them a new number, under the traditional 30 for F and D.

Personally, I prefer to see players take a high number under the following situations:
1) They are very good, all-star calibre
2) It means something to the player. #65 means something for Karlsson, something representing his parents or something?

I believe Tyler Myers kept his #57 from camp cause he didn't want to change anything since he made the dam as a 19 year old.

NJ and Lou Lamorello always have their players have low numbers.

Montreal, no choice since about 1/2 of the numbers under #30 have been retired.

 

[JA]

It seems prospects generally receive high numbers unless they specifically request them. Alexandre Bolduc wore #49 and Mario Bliznak wore #62 while Sergei Shirokov, who would have preferred to wear #52, was forced to switch to #25 instead.

That's a bit hypocritical, in my opinion.

I posted a recent article about how adamant the Detroit Red Wings were about selecting Pavel Bure 116th overall in the sixth round of the 1989 NHL Entry Draft; they were told they could not during the fifth round, then said they would draft him "no matter what" and then settle the eligibility issue later. The Canucks took him three picks ahead of Detroit at pick #113.

I'm sure if Bure had been chosen by Detroit, not only would he have had a prosperous and highly successful career, but he would have become the definitive #96 on the Red Wings roster rather than Tomas Holmstrom.

 

[Bro Horvat]

I believe New Jersey doesn't allow any player to wear a number over 35(?) - some sort of team tradition. They made an exception for Jagr apparently.

 

[bottomlesspop]

I believe New Jersey doesn't allow any player to wear a number over 35(?) - some sort of team tradition. They made an exception for Jagr apparently.

as they did for Mogilny and Gilmour!

check out their jersey number history http://devils.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=41770

 

[tc 23]

I believe New Jersey doesn't allow any player to wear a number over 35(?) - some sort of team tradition. They made an exception for Jagr apparently.

I believe they only make exceptions for established star players. Their organization seems very traditional.

 

[LiquidSnake]

97 looks terrible on a jersey.... bugs me all the time for some reason.

Agree with whoever said Kassian and 9. although I believe he wore 9 for the WJC as well.

Seems more like a 13.

 

[Royal Canuck]

97 looks terrible on a jersey.... bugs me all the time for some reason.

Agree with whoever said Kassian and 9. although I believe he wore 9 for the WJC as well.

Seems more like a 13.

I don't mind #97, I tried to do the same with my birth year, but #95 is the worst jersey number I can think of. I think 91,92,93,94,96,97 all look good, 98 is just too close to 99 for me.

If I were a coach, I'd leave it up to the players on whether they want 1-30 to be honest. Jersey numbers and teamwork don't have a whole lot in common.

 

[Royal Canuck]

97 looks terrible on a jersey.... bugs me all the time for some reason.

Agree with whoever said Kassian and 9. although I believe he wore 9 for the WJC as well.

Seems more like a 13.

I've seen Kassian as #16, obviously not in a Canucks jersey but still.

 

[Eddy Punch Clock]

I've seen Kassian as #16, obviously not in a Canucks jersey but still.

I mentioned the dislike for Kassian with #9. I was hoping for #18 at the time.

BTW- when is the last time we've had a #24? Are they planning on retiring Cooke's number or something?... Sandlack?

edit- Hordichuk was the last one.

 

[Bure All Day]

Like other posters have said, jersey numbers used to be generally low, because it was a team game and they didn't need to have one guy stand out like that.

Today, numbers are just a special number for that person. I think everyone knows how Crosby got his number (August 7th).. Maybe for others they wear a number that a former player wore and they looked up to.

I'm not in the NHL, but I always liked 9, 10, 17, 18, 19, 21 for Kariya, Bure, Hull/Kovalchuk, random just liked the number, Naslund, Forsberg

 

[Angry Little Elf]

If you want to read about how players chose their numbers, this is a great book http://www.amazon.ca/Hockey-Night-Canada-Numbers-From/dp/1552639843, Many European players choose higher number because they were banned in their home countries. I know Jagr wears 68 because the Prague Spring happened in 68

 

[Hansen]

Personal preference, and then there are team traditions like in New Jersey.

I really want to know what numbers the Sedins wanted before Burke gave them #33 and #22 though.

As for #9 looking bad on Kassian, I like it

Only number's I've ever worn are #10, #9, #5 (when the first two are taken or when I'm playing defense mostly)