NHL Jerseys by The Numbers
The history of NHL jersey numbers dates back to the early 1900s when players would sew their numbers onto their sweaters.
The first team to retire a number was the Toronto Maple Leafs, which retired Ace Bailey’s number 6 on February 14, 1934, before an All-Star game organized in his honor.
The NHL has 184 retired numbers, 10 former retirements, and 25 honored numbers.
The most worn number in NHL history is #21, worn by 515 NHL players. The number #9 is iconic in NHL hockey due to its association with some of its greatest players. Here are a few reasons why it is so significant. Maurice “Rocket” Richard, “Mr. Hockey “Gordie Howe, “The Golden Jet” Bobby Hull, and “The Chief” Johnny Bucyk are the greats to have made this number iconic.
Most of the numbers retired by the Hartford Whalers and the Quebec Nordiques were put back in circulation when those franchises relocated. They became the Carolina Hurricanes and Colorado Avalanche, although the Hurricanes kept Gordie Howe’s number 9 unofficially retired.
Honored numbers are similar to retired numbers, except that they remain available for use by other players. Presently, only the Calgary Flames, the St. Louis Blues, and the Winnipeg Jets (the latter honoring the players of the original Jets) employ this designation. As of February 2025, only the Utah Hockey Club and the Winnipeg Jets have no retired numbers.
Five teams have retired six numbers that are not those of former players from their franchises: the Ottawa Senators, Florida Panthers (x2), Minnesota Wild, Seattle Kraken, and Vegas Golden Knights.
Wayne Gretzky’s number #99 was retired league-wide in 2000; his former teams, the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings, also separately retired their numbers.
Twelve numbers have been retired by a team in honor of two players. Nine players have had their number retired by two different NHL teams. Bobby Hull – Chicago Blackhawks and the original Winnipeg Jets Gordie Howe – Detroit Red Wings and Hartford Whalers Wayne Gretzky Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings (also retired league-wide). Ray Bourque – Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche Mark Messier – Edmonton Oilers and New York Rangers. Patrick Roy – Colorado Avalanche and Montreal Canadiens Tim Horton – Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs. Red Kelly – Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs Scott Niedermayer – Anaheim Ducks and New Jersey Devils.
Upon joining the league in 2000, the Minnesota Wild held a ceremony to retire number 1 from circulation as a tribute to their fans.
The league has banned players from wearing the number zero or double zero, and the NHL cannot register anyone with that number in its database.
The number #69 is quite rare in the NHL. Only two players have worn it: Mel Angelstad and Andrew Desjardins. Mel Angelstad, known as “Mad Mel,” wore it during the 2003-04 season with the Washington Capitals. Andrew Desjardins wore it for two seasons with the San Jose Sharks before switching to other numbers.
The number #69 is often avoided due to its connotations, and it has not been officially banned, but it remains an uncommon choice among players. 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.
Bernie Parent was actually the first goalie in big league hockey to wear 00. He wore it in his short stint with the Philadelphia Blazers of the WHA in 1972-73. Only two players have worn a single zero as a jersey number in NHL history. Neil Sheehy wore the number for twenty-six games with the Hartford Whalers in 1987-88, and Paul Bibeault, the goalie, wore it in the 1942-43 season.
Players to have worn number #13 include Mats Sundin, Pavel Datsyuk, Teemu Selanne, and Mike Cammelleri.
Only three players have ever worn #66: Mario Lemieux, who flipped the number upside down to pay tribute to Wayne Gretzky. Josh Ho-Sang wore the digits as a member of the New York Islanders in honor of Lemieux, and T.J. Brodie wore the number with the Calgary Flames in honor of Lemieux.
Jaromir Jagr wore #68 as a tribute to the Prague Spring of 1968, a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia. Jagr wanted to honor the memory of his grandfather, who was jailed during this time and passed away in the same year.
Ray Bourque changed numbers from seven to 77 following the number retirement of Phil Esposito in Boston. Others to have worn the number include Paul Coffey, Victor Hedman, and Phil Esposito.
Petr Klíma wore the number #85 to commemorate the year he defected from Czechoslovakia to the United States. In 1985, with the help of the Detroit Red Wings, Klíma made a daring escape from his home country, which was then under communist rule.
Only nine players have worn the number #87 in the NHL. The most famous is Sidney Crosby, who chose the number because he was born on August 7, 1987 (8/7/87). Other players who have worn the number include Donald Brashear and Pierre Turgeon.
Alexander Mogilny chose to wear the number #89 for several significant reasons. First, the Buffalo Sabres selected him as the 89th overall pick in the 1988 NHL Draft.
Connor McDavid chose to wear the number #97 because he was born in 1997. He started wearing the number when he was seven years old, and it has since become a significant part of his identity as a player. Thirteen players have worn #97 they include Jeremy Roenick, Kirill Kaprizov, and Joe Thornton.
Wayne Gretzky wore the number #99 because his favorite number, #9, was already taken by a teammate when he joined the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the Ontario Hockey League. Gretzky admired Gordie Howe, who wore number #9, and initially wanted to wear the same number. However, when #9 was unavailable, his coach suggested he wear #99 instead.
These numbers stand out because they break the traditional mold of hockey jersey numbers and often have unique personal significance to the players who wear them. Is there a specific player or number you’re curious about? Please let me know in the comments.
Remember to Keep Your Stick on the Ice. NHL Jerseys by The Numbers.
