If the NHL were to retire another number throughout the NHL?Bonus?

Question

What number would you choose?I'm not saying another number should be retired throughout the NHL but if they gave you the choice what number would you pick and why?

Bonus-You ever get a puck at a game?Not practice pucks I mean "during play" pucks and how much was the medical bills after you tried to catch it?

Answer 1

Number 4. Maybe I'm just showing my homer side once again, but in my humble opinion I think Orr's the bet player to play the game. And if you argue with that than you can at least say that he had the biggest effect on how it is played today...as a player. He revolutionized the game, it's very rare that you have one player come into the league and the whole sport changes. He had loads of pure talent and an incredible hockey sense. I don't have to go through his resume, because I'm sure you already know most of it, but what he did for the sport was incredible. Players like Sergei Gonchar, and other offensive defenseman would not be around if it wasn't for him.

BONUS: No. But my brother caught a practice puck.. And in the same night I did one of those little shot things, like you take 2 slap shots it gives you your speed, and then you take another one but first you guess your speed and I guessed right. So they put my name in some drawing thing and I won it, and I guess the coach was supposed to like give me the puck or whatever. But we didn't see my name on the screen, and then one of my neighbors was at the game, we didn't know. And they saw it and the next day they told us. and like a year later I ended up getting the puck..

Answer 2

Well, to answer part 2 to your question. I actually got a play puck (99 season) from the Flyers equipment mgr Rocco.

Was used when Carolina was in town and got it signed by LeClair.

That was pretty cool and was injury free.

Answer 3

I'd like to see Mario's 66 retired because he was a great, and the number is pretty uncommon, and in the future maybe Sid's 87 because it's pretty uncommon too.

I haven't been to too many NHL games, so no I have never gotten a practice/game puck, but my brother got a t-shirt thrown by Carlton the Bear(maple leafs mascot).

I have gotten many practice/game pucks from an OHL game since we used to go alot to see Owen Sound play, once I went to get a snack and I came back to my dad holding a puck, it would of hit me in the jewels if I was sitting there.

Answer 4

I would say number 66 and number 4, but number 4 would never happen, it's too popular. number 9 too, but who would they retire it for? Howe and Richard would have to get dual consideration....

Overall I'd say 66 since nobody else would dream of wearing it anyway now, and the person who wore it was certainly legit enough to deserve it.

Oh, and I've never caught a puck. I always sit either on the third level or in the cheap lower bowl seats behind the goal. Great places to watch a game, but lousy to catch pucks.

Answer 5

I don't think the league should retire numbers.  I do not think teams should retire numbers - its just what they are numbers.  

I think it is Toronto that does not "retire" numbers, but places the banner in the rafters to honor the player and number.  That should be the practice.  It has become common place for too many teams to "retire" numbers that it loses its meaning.  Some teams hold that form, but if look at some of the oldest teams, you could start to get a lot of numbers retired.  A player may be great, may be considered the greatest...but what if someone comes along and generates more popularity and is greater...do you "unretire" a number based on that.  

Honor the player..not the number.  I remember they put the number 99 behind the nets because that is where Gretzky did a lot of his work.  Now teams are honoring all retirees that way....takes away from the honor they gave Gretzky.  

Hasek's jersey does deserve to be honored in Buffalo...but the management there hold too many grudges, and he won't be honored for many many years.  

Bonus - I have gotten two pucks in two cities, on in Buffalo (the old Aud, not the HSBC arena) and one at MSG.

Answer 6

I do agree with many others about retiring #66. Mario has done a lot for hockey and it's popularity and he deserves that honor juts as much as Wayne.

Bonus. Yes I have caught a game used puck. I got one from the Panthers 10th season. I actually caught it. Because I play I know how to watch for pucks. It stung a bit to catch but no injury to report and a spiffy game used puck to boot.

Answer 7

I don't think the NHL should retire any numbers. So let's just say they should retire #69 (you better know what I mean).

Bonus- Sorta but no. My son and I were in PHX for a Sharks/Coyotes game. Cheechoo flipped a puck to our seats behind the bench, my son caught it.

Answer 8

i would say retire number 9 and 30 because they are the most common numbers in the nhl. i just pick 30 because of brodeur and he deserves respect just for that fact that he broke almost every record previously held

Answer 9

My top two choices would be #19 split for Sakic and Yzerman followed by #66 for Mario.

Sakic and Yzerman are two of the best workhorse captains this game has ever seen and as such they should be honored with a split retirement.

Nope never caught a puck.  Caught a couple baseballs at Tigers games, but nothing at the Red Wings games.

Answer 10

No....but the Flyers should retire #31

Answer 11

66 should absolutely be retired. and when Sakic retires, i believe 19 should be thought about for retirement, for two of the best, Sakic and Yzerman.

hahah and No, only pratice puck, from Shawn Burr i believe

Answer 12

Hmm. Good question. I'd go with 4. Frankly, I think Orr was as good as Gretzky. Or maybe 9. Howe AND Richard AND Bobby Hull (part of his career)? Can't beat that.

I got a puck once. No medical bill was necessary. It was deflected into the air, fluttered a bit, then practically fell in my lap. I was the only person who did not stand up to try to get it. Sometimes patience IS a virtue. LOL!

p.s. For the record, I don't think the league should retire any more numbers. Mine was simply a "what if" scenario answer.

Answer 13

I don't believe in retiring numbers.

  I caught a floater in the side of the head once...no injury, although ever since the incident, I drink far too much and can never locate my pants.

Answer 14

9 (Howe, Richard, Hull, Modano, etc.) or 19 (Yzerman, Sakic)

Caught it on the fly and got a bruised palm, didn't have time to react as I had a beer in my other hand.

Brings smelling salts for John as he obviously needs a wake-up call .. Gordie wore #9 (but #17 as a rookie)

Mr. Taco : yes Orr wore #4 but let's not forget JEAN BELIVEAU :)

Answer 15

44 and 25 for chris pronger

BOOM

Answer 16

66-Mario Lemieux.

No but I did get one at a practice. It was a Sabre's rookie practice at the Pepsi Centre in Amherst. Someone shot the puck and it deflected up and through a hole into the mesh and fell outside the rink. I went over and kept it

Answer 17

Number 66...my man Mario's jersey....IMO it should have been retired when he did the second time!

Bonus -  Nope...once got a Foul ball to the eye courtesy of the Diamondbacks...it hurt..no medical bills..just a s**y shiner..

Answer 18

I would retire all Fractions.... I get sick of seeing 3/5ths  on the back of players. 15/16ths is pretty annoying also.

Answer 19

I agree... i think # 66 should be retired.

Never have i got a puck at a game. But my brother has and the puck hit his head before it came into his hands!

Answer 20

#9 for "Mr. Hockey" Gordie Howe.

I have never caught a puck flying in the stands.  I did have one come close to me but I couldn't get to it.

Answer 21

Sorry... their are 2 numbers that anyone even cares about... 99 and 66... maybe 87 makes it one day.

I retire 99 and 66 just because.

BTW, what was Howe's number?

Yeah, thats right... no one outside of hockey nuts know. But if you ask them 99 or 66... bet you get +50% tell you who they are.

:)

Answer 22

# 77 for ray bourqe

Answer 23

#1 Tons of keepers wore that number and although it was the goalies number for historic reasons think of all the greats that wore it and are in the Hall of Fame.

Never got a puck at a game that I wasn't playing in. I've seen a lot of carnage at games from them though.I got a pair of Rickey Henderson's batting gloves at Yankee stadium when he fouled out and threw them on top of the dug-out late 80's.

(I may have chatted there?)

Answer 24

Probably Crosby because he brings in so much money for the NHL and every time you see his name on the front page of the NHL.com site. If he breaks 2000 points the  way the game is played today, yeah probably Crosby.

Bonus: I don't know if it was an actual game puck or just a practice puck, but when I walked out of Rexall place, I was about 8 or 9, this old man gave me this puck.  I looked on the back and it said official NHL game puck. He must have caught it.

Answer 25

Hmmmm..................I can't think of any throughout the NHL really.  Well, LEMIEUX'S, but nobody wears it anyways.

I can think of certain TEAMS that need to retire numbers.

Buffalo needs to retire Hasek.

Pittsburgh needs to retire Jagr (the second he retires of course)

Answer 26

I'd have to say 4 (Bobby Orr), because he had such an impact on how the game is played. Of course, that was also Jean Beliveau's number, so might be a bit sensitive with Beliveau fans.

Lemieux was great, but I really don't think he had the impact on the game that either Orr or Gretzky had.

But, in general, I am against retiring numbers. Honor the player, but keep the number in circulation is my opinion.

Q2 - The only game puck I (actually my brother) ever got was from the Cincinnati Stingers in the old WHA. We escaped injury, but the guy who had it bounce off his shoulder was pretty sore, I bet.

Answer 27

Considering that Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux sided with the owners instead of their former fellow players during the 2004-05 lockout, I think 99 and 66 should be handed out to the last man on each team's roster.  That's the least of the punishment those traitors to the game should receive.  Better yet, put 99 on Jaromir Jagr and 66 on Sean Avery.  That'll be a fitting punishment.  (As well as matching the new wearers' IQs.)

Answer 28

NHL- maybe 66, and that's even a maybe because they don't retire numbers that often.

But my team, the Flyers should retire 31, even though it's unoffically retired, it should just offically be retired.

Answer 29

I don't really think leagues should retire any jerseys. Sure, some players are great enough that they might deserve it, but there's no reason another player can't wear the same number on a different team.

Some day we'll be forced to watch games where every player on the ice is wearing the same number because, well, this number scored alot of goals, so can't wear it, and this one was the greatest goalie ever, and this one was the third greatest goalie ever, so we can't have players in those numbers. It's a number. One or two symbols on your back so the referees can tell which player they're putting in the box if their face is too bloodied. ;P

Other question - No. : (

Answer 30

#9 for Gordie Howe and Maurice Richard.

Never got a game puck.