Players who don't deserve to have their numbers retired.
- Thread starter Megahab
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cynicism
Registered User
- Aug 13, 2008
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I disagree with the OP. The standards for jersey retirement aren't, nor should they, be as high as HOF. Daneyko is one of the best defenceman in NJ devils history, granted after the top two there's a drop off but he put in his entire career with that team and was always a reliable stay at home d-man.
I'd say Graves deserves it as well, he was an integral part of the team in '94 and for a few years was one of the best power forwards in the game.
That said, its hard to get passionate debates about jersey retirements for me.
I'd say Graves deserves it as well, he was an integral part of the team in '94 and for a few years was one of the best power forwards in the game.
That said, its hard to get passionate debates about jersey retirements for me.
Steve Kournianos
@thedraftanalyst
Daneyko didn't have his number retired because he was a "fan favorite". As far as I know, he is the franchises all-time leader in games played and playoff games played.
He was also a Devil from day one, spanning 20 seasons.
3 Cups, 4 Finals, 6 CF, a Masterton Trophy.
Not to mention he was solid and consistent in his own end from wire to wire.
The Devils are a young franchise. While Daneyko never put up big numbers, I can totally understand why they retired his number. He still works for the organization to this day.
I mean, 27 years with the same organization???? Well deserved.
Graves is a different story. His stats arent all that great. It was more a reward for his work in the community. He adopts and sponsors kids, spends more time working away from the rink than anybody in team history, has foundations and charities in his name etc.
While I think it was wrong that his number was retired the same day as Bathgate, I don't think anybody thinks Graves had his number retired for any other reason besides the fact that he is a great, selfless human being off the ice.
I personally think number retiring is a little out of control. Pretty soon where going to have guys wearing three digits.
Bear of Bad News
Your Third or Fourth Favorite HFBoards Admin
- Sep 27, 2005
- 13,518
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Agreed. If it were up to me, I would honor numbers and hang them from the rafters, but not retire them.
Wrong on many levels. The guys spent 20 years on the same team and provided solid defense over those years. He stuck around through the early bad times of the team when the Devils couldn't win 20 games a season. Dano definitely deserves to have his number retired.
Blizzard
Registered User
- Feb 22, 2010
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The one I question the most is Glen Wesley. He was past his offensive prime with the Hurricanes and although he did spend ten years with them(they traded him for the portion of one season) plus 3 or 4 with Hartford, I can't see him being worthy in the same respect as Daneyko who was the Devils first pick coming off the move from Colorado and was the heart and soul of that organization for the larger part of 20 years on the ice.
Agree with the prior poster to a degree that numbers should be honored not retired. I would allow retired numbers but only by the league and with a vote by the hall of fame. Would be league wide. Teams could honor them although I think they would really take advantage of this and there would be 30 jerseys hanging in every building.
Only a few I can think of right now that would deserve league wide retirement if it was done that way. 4, 9, 66, and 99. With a few others on the fence.
Agree with the prior poster to a degree that numbers should be honored not retired. I would allow retired numbers but only by the league and with a vote by the hall of fame. Would be league wide. Teams could honor them although I think they would really take advantage of this and there would be 30 jerseys hanging in every building.
Only a few I can think of right now that would deserve league wide retirement if it was done that way. 4, 9, 66, and 99. With a few others on the fence.
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tarheelhockey
Offside Review Specialist
I agree that Wesley is really borderline. Probably the result of the Hurricanes playing off their Cup win and working to build a sense of legitimacy. Not that there was anything wrong with Glen, but he wouldn't even have had consideration for number retirement if he had played in Detroit or Montreal.
But in general it's better that the rules be really loose. Some guys are just never going to get a sniff at the HOF, so this is their opportunity to be recognized for having a huge impact on a local level. Daneyko is the perfect example of a guy who deserved recognition for his role with the franchise but wouldn't belong in the Hall.
But in general it's better that the rules be really loose. Some guys are just never going to get a sniff at the HOF, so this is their opportunity to be recognized for having a huge impact on a local level. Daneyko is the perfect example of a guy who deserved recognition for his role with the franchise but wouldn't belong in the Hall.
Add me to the list of people who are not crazy about the retiring of numbers. Using Alexander Ovechkin as an obvious example of someone who will be recognized as one of the NHL's greatest all time players, and worthy of a salute once he retires, here is what I would do with him. Before the start of the first Capitals game following his retirement, there would be a ceremony where his accomplishments would be listed and lauded, and then, after Ovechkin spoke, a large jersey shaped banner would be raised to the rafters. That banner would contain his name and his number 8. Then, that number would not again be worn by anyone for a period of years, and would only again be worn when a another true star emerged in Washington. Ovechkin's name would be displayed prominently on the jersey bearing the number 8, when it was again worn. That way, Alexander would be saluted every game, in Washington and on the road.
Buck Aki Berg
Done with this place
I can't decide on this one .. I get the idea that a lot of kids coming through the system would be honoured to wear the number that their childhood hero wore, but at the same time, I like how the current tradition makes certain numbers synonymous with a certain player of significance.
That said, I think certain things need to be done about the ceremonies themselves. Many drag on too long and delay the start of the game, or aren't available to a national audience, or are done simply to get the team some attention. Things like that definitely need to be sorted out.
ForsbergForever
Registered User
- May 19, 2004
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So the next guy to wear #8 for the Caps would literally have to carry Ovechkin's legacy (whatever it will be in 10-15 years time) on his back every game he plays? I'm sure he'd have no problem with that at all...
Matt714*
Registered User
Adam Graves especially bothered me. Not only that his number was retired, but that he wore the same number as NHL legend Andy Bathgate, who played the majority of his career with the Rangers, and was ten times the player Graves was, and Bathgate's number wasn't retired until later that month (likely due to public outcry, but I don't know the story).
Bourque's jersey retirement was ridiculous. Even more so is the Avalanche unretiring the Nordiques old legends when the team moved.
Bourque's jersey retirement was ridiculous. Even more so is the Avalanche unretiring the Nordiques old legends when the team moved.
TheDevilMadeMe
Registered User
Daneyko defined what it meant to be a NJ Devil for almost 2 decades. No long term Devils fan would ever question why his number was retired.
The player who wears the no. 8 after Ovechkin would "have to carry Ovechkin's legacy" whether or not Alexander's name was on the jersey or not. The future Capitals star would not be conscripted to wear the no. 8; it would be offered to him. If he felt he didn't have the shoulders to carry the legacy, he could decline.
Bourque for the Avalanche takes the cake. One of the most ridiculous number retirements in pro sports history. Pure publicity stunt.
Yvon Labre's #7 for Washington also stands out. The worst player ever to get his number retired save for players who died during their careers. Played all of 337 games for Washington in their early terrible years, and was an OK player, but in hindsight it just looks ridiculous. Would be like the Sharks retiring Jeff Odgers' #, the Panthers retiring Bob Boughner's #, or the Predators retiring Tom Fitzgerald's.
Yvon Labre's #7 for Washington also stands out. The worst player ever to get his number retired save for players who died during their careers. Played all of 337 games for Washington in their early terrible years, and was an OK player, but in hindsight it just looks ridiculous. Would be like the Sharks retiring Jeff Odgers' #, the Panthers retiring Bob Boughner's #, or the Predators retiring Tom Fitzgerald's.
Gilles Meloche
I Moe I Moe
vadim sharifijanov
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- Oct 10, 2007
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those guys deserved to be honoured for what they meant to the fanbase, which is what retired numbers are for. they're not for you or me watching from somewhere else in the continent on tv, or for the people who only watch when the team is winning or in the playoffs. jerseys in the rafters are for the fans that go to the games through thick or thin, and the guys who meant something to them, and to the communities they played in, should be honoured. trevor linden is another guy who might not have been a superstar, but who is a no-brainer for having his number retired. glen wesley, i don't know, but i suspect he's another one of those guys. maybe a carolina fan can say what he meant to that fanbase.
the kinds of guys i don't agree with are gartner in washington or bourque in colorado, who might seem impressive while the anthem is being sung to someone watching on tv, but mean very little to the true fans.
Blades of Glory
Troll Captain
As said above, retiring jerseys isn't just about numbers and accomplishments, it's about what a player meant to an organization and the community. Now, while Bathgate should have had his number retired well before Graves, there is no argument from me against Graves getting his number retired. It was as much about Adam Graves the person, one of the finest human beings I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, as it was about Adam Graves the hockey player.
Bourque's Colorado debacle is another story. That was a complete publicity stunt.
Bourque's Colorado debacle is another story. That was a complete publicity stunt.
For my club, the Montreal Canadiens, the standards for retirement of jerseys are much, much higher than for election to the Hockey Hall of Fame although the Canadiens have retired more jersey numbers than any other club. There are many Canadiens Hall of Famers who will not have their numbers retired. And I rather think that is the way it always will be for the Canadiens. Otherwise we'd have dozens of numbers retired. Given that the Canadiens do not retire the jersey numbers of many Hall of Famers, it is even more unlikely that a Canadiens player not in the Hall of Fame will ever have his number retired, although I suppose it could happen should, God forbid, a Canadiens player (not of the stature of Howie Morenz) ever die as a result of a tragedy during a game.
Each club ought to be free to select its own criteria for retirement of jersey numbers. If a player has become special to a club or its fan base--for example, if he has been the heart and soul of a club or has been immensely popular--I suppose some clubs might want to honor him even if he isn't in the Hall of Fame and never will be.
At the same time, I'm opposed to the league retiring any numbers on a league-wide basis. That ought to be a club matter. I see no good reason for the NHL retiring Gretzky's No. 99. It was just a Bettmanesque effort to hype hockey. Why should the Canadiens or any other club for which Gretzky did not play be compelled to honor him by forbearance from assigning No. 99 to any of its own players? For that matter, why should any club, even the ones Gretzky did play for, be forced by the league to honor him in this way? There is no sound reason, and it ought to be left up to each club.
Were I in charge, I would just honor the player by raising a jersey bearing his number and name to the rafters and leave the number free to be assigned to other players. When I started following the NHL in 1953, the Canadiens had only one retired number, Howie Morenz's No. 7, and the other clubs were the same way. I got used to seeing the lower numbers on the backs of active players, and I'd like to see the same thing today. Nos. 1 through about 20 are much more distinct to me than higher numbers; they are easier to remember.
Giving the number worn by a famous star to a young player would give him an incentive to perform well and would not put undue pressure on him provided he has some confidence in himself. And if it did constitute a burden, the player could always ask for another number.
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Dennis Bonvie
Registered User
Kyle McMahon
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- May 10, 2006
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Hamilton is the Oilers' acknowledgement of their WHA roots. He's been an active member of the community and the Oilers alumni association for many years. Nobody in Edmonton has any qualms with his number hanging from the rafters at Rexall.
tarheelhockey
Offside Review Specialist
Matt714*
Registered User
Not really retired, but the fact that Steve Chiasson's number is honoured is ridiculous. He was a drunk driver ffs.
Psycho Papa Joe
Porkchop Hoser
For the Habs it's Bob Gainey. I really doubt he would have received the honour if he hadn't been GM during a retirement heavy era for the Habs. Excellent at what he did, but wasn't a better hockey player than either Provost or Carbonneau and neither are in the HOF or are getting their numbers retired. Those guys were almost as good defensively and had far better offensive abilities. The Habs have had a few other players more deserving of the honour such as Guy Lapointe, J.Lemaire and Bill Durnan.
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