What was wayne gretzkys original jersey number

Apr 16, It was with the Greyhounds that Gretzky first wore the number 99 on his jersey. He originally wanted to wear number 9—for his hockey hero Gordie Howe—but it was already being worn by teammate Brian Gualazzi. Why did the NHL retire 99? The NHL simply did what should have been done.

Nobody in their right mind would have worn the number after Gretzky, because it was simply his number and always should be his number. Of course, 66, 69 and 99 are not worn by anybody.

No NBA player has ever worn the number 69, which is believed to be implicitly banned due to its sexual connotations; the NBA has never confirmed this.

Any 3 Digit Number A professional hockey team has at most 23 players on its roster. Marie Greyhounds, which is a junior hockey league team in Ontario, Canada, a player by the name of Brian Gualazzi was already wearing the number 9. One of the unwritten rules of hockey is that the veteran or older player usually gets the choice of number first.

Since it was already claimed, Gretzky as the rookie did not get to take number 9. So the coach at the time, Muzz MacPherson, suggested to Gretzky that he wear the number Gretzky agreed and the legend of the number began! He had the best years of his career or the best years of anyone ever to play hockey while he was in Edmonton.

He set numerous records, captured numerous trophies and won 4 Stanley Cups. At the start of the retirement ceremony Gretzky was driven around in a truck where he received a standing ovation for 5 minutes. Edmonton would rename a street after him, which is now called Wayne Gretzky drive. As well as, they erected a statue of Wayne holding the Stanley Cup that sits outside of Rogers Place arena, where the Oilers play their home games. Along with the retirement of his jersey to the rafters Los Angeles also erected a bronze statue of Gretzky that stands outside the Staples Center.

Gretzky had just retired the previous year at the end of the season with the New York Rangers. The NHL simply did what should have been done. Nobody in their right mind would have worn the number after Gretzky, because it was simply his number and always should be his number. Gretzky is the greatest player to ever play the game of hockey — here are the teams and stats Gretzky got at each stop. He holds by far the most records, including all of the most significant scoring records.

He holds the record for most goals, assists and points in a season and a career. Even if the NHL never retired his number it would be essentially retired, because nobody would have worn it anyway. New Player Log In. Newest Questions Post a Question Search All Questions Please cite any factual claims with citation links or references from authoritative sources. Editors continuously recheck submissions and claims. Archived Questions Goto Qn. Currently voted the best answer.

Louis Blues, and the New York Rangers. The only other player to wear No. Brodie, and that was for a three-game stint in In league history, the number has been worn by players and 15 players wore the number this past season alone. And everyone will always know who the greatest No. Not a subscriber? Sign up today to get the best features and analysis from the NHL and beyond.