Most iconic numbers in National Hockey League history – Part 12
New York Islanders: No.5
Another inclusion in the list of players who made their jersey numbers among the most iconic is Denis Potvin of the New York Islanders. He spent his entire career with the Islanders during his time in the National Hockey League.
He was brought into the team in 1973 as a first overall draft pick. He spent quite a lot of time with the Islanders and ended his journey with the team when he retired in 1988. Denis has played in 1060 games for the Islanders during which he has scored 310
goals, came up with 742 assists and scored a total of 1052 points. When he retired, he was the leader in the National Hockey League for all the above statistics for a defenseman.
Potvin was also the leader for the Islanders and the NHL in goals, assists and points for a defenseman during the play-offs at the time of his retirement. He was on the end of receiving the James Norris Memorable Award on three occasions for being the best
defensive player in the League in 1976, 1978 and 1979. Potvin is another one of the players in the NHL who had his number five jersey retired from the Islanders and became the first player to be honoured with this in the history of the franchise.
There were several more achievements that came his way with the next big and most important being that of being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991. In 1998, when the list of 100 great ice hockey players was released, he occupied the 19th spot
in the list. Potvin was also one of two players in the Islanders’ history to play 1000 plus games for the franchise.
Toronto Maple Leafs: No. 7
Tim Horton is the next player in the list who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and wore the Number seven jersey for the team. He was acquired by the Maple Leafs when he was signed in 1948 and started playing for the team from 1951 until the time when he
was traded away to the New York Rangers in 1970.
Horton played in many games that piled up to 1185 at the end of his Maple Leafs’ career during which he scored 109 goals, 349 assists and scored a total of 458 points. There were multiple occasions when he was named to the NHL first All Star team and was
also included in the second All Star team on the same number of occasions. He was on the end of some of the best results for his team and individually as he successfully won the Stanley Cup in 1962, 1963 and then 1964.
The Maple Leafs were unable to win the Cup in the coming two years but able to get back on the dominating roads and successfully regained the crown in 1967 once again. Horton was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1977 and was one of the most dominating players
of his time.
Such was the success of this player that many years after his death, when the list of 100 greatest players was made in 1998 he held the Number 43 spot. Horton was the 59th ranked Canadian player in the National Hockey League when it came to the
listings.
Tags: