Most iconic numbers in National Hockey League history – Part 16
Chicago Blackhawks: No. 9
Bobby Hull is another one of the brilliant players to be included in the list of most iconic jersey numbers in the history of Chicago Blackhawks.
He was brought into Hawks in 1957 and stayed there for quite a while before his journey with the team ended as he signed with Winnipeg Jets of the WHA in 1972.
His career with Hawks was a decent one during which he played a total of 1036 games.
Out of the many games he played, he scored a total of 604 goals and 549 assists to pile up a total of 1153 points.
His time with Hawks was one of the most productive that the team had with any player. As soon as he got on the NHL scene, he was able to develop into a game changing player with his brilliant performances.
He won the Art Ross Trophy on three occasions in 1960, 1962 and then once again in 1966. He made his way into the first NHL All Star team on several occasions.
He was able to win only one Stanley Cup during his time in Hawks in 1961. There were several more awards that he came across and the next one to be mentioned on the list is the Hart Memorial Trophy in 1965.
With the game that he had, he was able to become one of the very best in the sport and became only one of the three players who appeared on the cover of Time magazine.
Hull was inducted in the Hall of Fame for his superb performances in the National Hockey League in 1983 and was ranked 8th in the list of greatest ice hockey players which was compiled in 1998.
He was the last active player to have played a play-off game in 1980 who appeared on the NHL stage during the 50’s.
Montreal Canadiens: No.1
Jacques Plante, goalkeeper of Montreal Canadiens, is another one of the great inclusions in the list of players who managed to make a name for them.
He was brought into Canadiens in 1949 and spent a significant time with the team. He played 556 games for the team during which he won 314 games, which is phenomenal.
At the end of the journey with Canadiens, he was leading the team with the most number of wins and shutouts. He managed to maintain 2.23 goals against average which also quite impressive.
It didn’t take him long to settle into the team and he soon became one of the best goalkeepers in the National Hockey League.
He won the Vezina Trophy for being the best goal keeper in the league in 1956 and was also selected and played in the NHL All Star team in the same year.
With the level of talent that he possessed, he was constantly piling up good numbers that saw him winning the award again in 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962 and 1969, respectively.
He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1978 and was also selected for the Canada Sports Hall of Fame in 1981.
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