However, this group lacks depth, with names like Etienne Sabino and Jake Stoneburner towards the top of the remaining names. There isn't much substance because his number has been on hold for years, but ARCHIE FREAKING GRIFFIN and Andy Katzenmoyer stand out. I'd say he's got a good chance at making the team if he decides to come back.
In addition to the above, there is also a women's ice hockey team. They are not eligible for postseason play. Their biggest name is probably Kayla Peterman, who played in two games for the U.S. national team in 2015-16. She has not played since due to injury.
The women's program started in 1975-76 and was initially sponsored by Buell Motors. They have used various manufacturers such as Onyx, Easton and Bauer over the years. In 2011, they joined forces with the men's team to form an alliance called "Hockey Ohio". The women's team currently plays its home games at Blue Jacket Arena on the campus of Ottawa University.
In 2014-15, both the men's and women's teams qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time. That same year, former captain and defenseman Chris Summers became the first player from either program to be drafted when he went in the 7th round (50th overall) of the 2014 NHL Draft.
Ray Ferraro, who was dealt to the Blues in 2001 after wearing four other numbers for five other clubs, is among those on the list. Then there are dreamers like Shawn Heaphy (Calgary) and Joey Tenute (Washington), who had 13 on their backs in their lone NHL debuts. There are also a few name brands you might know such as Paul Kariya (13), Joe Mullen (12) and Mike Gartner (11). And then there's Tony Granato, who has a league-high 10 assignments this season.
In fact, only three players not named Ferraro have worn all thirteen jerseys: Granato with the Islanders and Predators and Justin Braun with the Avalanche. The number is retired by its original team for legendary players like Gordie Howe, Henri Richard and Bobby Orr. Other notable figures to don the thirteenth sweater include Cam Neely (Boston), Dave Taylor (Toronto) and Chris Simon (San Jose).
The history of the number starts in the World Hockey Association where it was worn most often by left wings because they were usually assigned a top line spot on the ice. In 1979-80, Pete LoPresti became the first American to wear it when he played for the Philadelphia Flyers. The trend continued in the WHA's successor, the NHL, with Americans dominating the list. As we know now, however, Europeans are beginning to make their mark.
The finest name ever to be associated with the number 9 is a no-brainer. Gordie Howe is one of the greatest players of all time, and he played until he was 52 years old (THW Archives). He has the most regular season games ever played (1767), as well as the most with one team. He's also first on the list of scorers with 594 points.
Howe's career spanned from the early days of hockey to after the famous "Broad Street Bullies" era had ended. He played during the time when there were only two teams in the NHL, so he got to experience all four seasons.
Gordie spent 11 seasons in the Detroit Red Wings organization, including nine years as their captain. He holds many team records, such as most goals (449) and assists (928).
In addition to his work with THW, Howe co-founded The Gordie Howe International Hockey Festival. The goal of this festival is to bring together the best young hockey players in the world for competitions that are equivalent to the IIHF World Championships but limited to under-18 players only (IIHF).
The first festival was held in 2002 in his home town of Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida. Since then, it has been held in different cities around the world. There is currently a tournament taking place in Canada featuring players from across North America.
Following a check of their Twitter feeds and some investigation, it looks that these players MAY wind up in NHL 21. There are a few notable absences, including Bossy, Fedorov, Richard, Esposito, Bobby Hull, Kariya, Lindros, Hasek, Iginla, Bondra, Alfredsson, and others. These are the players I could uncover who are either absolutely members or have been mentioned: Bure, Chelios, Modin, Palffy, Prospal, Skoula, Talbot, Trocheck.
Here's what else I found out during my research: During the development process for NHL 21, EA Sports asked fans to vote on which current players they wanted to see make the cut if they were able to play in 100 years. The following is a list of the top 10 vote getters: Bure, Lemieux, Gretzky, Orr, Selanne, Malkin, Crosby, Ovechkin, and Getzlaf. If any of these players reach the milestone in their career, they will be added to the game with all other future players.
Also worth mentioning is that current Montreal Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty was voted the best player in the world by the fans. He finished ahead of Henrik Lundqvist, Pavel Datsyuk, Sidney Crosby, and Alex Ovechkin.
Only four Yukoners were picked in later rounds of the National Hockey League, and only two saw action: Peter Sturgeon played six games with the Colorado Rockies from 1979 to 1981, and Jarrett Deuling played 15 games with the Islanders in the mid-1990s.
Sturgeon was the first - and as it turned out, only - Yuke to play in the NHL. He debuted on October 11, 1979, against the St. Louis Blues and scored a goal. The following season, he played six more games with the Colorado Rockies before returning to the Kootenay Ice where he ended his career after one game in 1981. He then returned to Canada where he worked as a miner.
Deuling was selected by the Islanders in the third round of the 1995 NHL Draft. He played three seasons at Yale University before turning pro. In 1999-00, he played for the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA), scoring 18 goals and adding 21 assists for 39 points. The next season, he moved to Buffalo, New York, to play with the Sabres' American Hockey League (AHL) team. In 2001-02, he helped the Sabres win the Calder Cup, scoring seven goals and adding 12 assists in 17 games. Deuling remained with the team after the championship run and was named an AHL All-Star.
Copyright © 2020 - 2023 Sportsmanist Inc.
