What jersey # should your franchise retire (and/or unretire)?

[elocomotive]

The thread on the Avs got me thinking about what jersey # deserves to be retired with the Capitals.

I'm curious what players you think should have their jersey retired with your favorite teams? Does your team have any retired jerseys you think are undeserving?



I think it should be a higher standard for most teams than it is. I think #12 Peter Bondra is the only Cap I can think of that isn't retired that deserves it. I'd give honorable mentions to Calle Johansson, Olaf Kolzig, and Michael Pivonka (in that order), but I don't think that any of them reached individual levels of excellence that warrants retirement. They all had very good careers for a very long time, but not Hall of Fame kinda careers.

And of the current retired numbers for the Caps, I only think #32 Dale Hunter and #7 Rod Langway deserve it. I don't think Mike Gartner deserves it because I think of him to be as much of a Ranger as I do a Capital. And Yvon Labre's number being retired is a complete joke.

 

[naslundfan19]

Once they retire, Hank & Danny.

 

[mattola]

Once they retire, Hank & Danny.

I Agree but my next statement most will disagree.

unretire Naslund he was utter failure in the playoffs.
linden, smyl, Sedins all led them to the finals with linden and the Sedins within one game. they have a greater success where it really counts most. while naslunds talent was immense Ive never seen more of a failure of a time in playoffs than under his captaincy. I never liked it going up.

 

[Winged_Wheel88]

Higgy is gonna say Fedorov.

Then I'm gonna go

 

[pixburgher66]

See, I think there need to be really high standards when it comes to retiring a number. REALLY high. The Avs and Rangers are the two that always jump into my mind when it comes to unnecessary retirements...and Brett Favre. The Pens only have two up and they're both very warranted. Briere is up there as a memorial and then there's 66. Jagr's deserves to go up there. I don't think it will, but it should. Other than that? Not really. I loved Francis, buttttttt...until Jags is up there no one else can be.

 

[puckhead]

For Canucks, Linden is a given.
I would have chosen Gradin over Smyl
Naslund is a no
Bure is a yes
Sedins are automatic, but maybe they can share a banner
Luongo gets it if we win a cup with him, and if he stays (good) here



I would also put up a "fuck you messier" banner

 

[blindbaby]

Leafs only honor the number. That said, there's not a lot I really disagree with. For all the flaws of Leafs management over the years, they haven't made absolutely absurd choices in honoring numbers, IMO.

 

[forty_three]

The thread on the Avs got me thinking about what jersey # deserves to be retired with the Capitals.

I'm curious what players you think should have their jersey retired with your favorite teams? Does your team have any retired jerseys you think are undeserving?



I think it should be a higher standard for most teams than it is. I think #12 Peter Bondra is the only Cap I can think of that isn't retired that deserves it. I'd give honorable mentions to Calle Johansson, Olaf Kolzig, and Michael Pivonka (in that order), but I don't think that any of them reached individual levels of excellence that warrants retirement. They all had very good careers for a very long time, but not Hall of Fame kinda careers.

And of the current retired numbers for the Caps, I only think #32 Dale Hunter and #7 Rod Langway deserve it. I don't think Mike Gartner deserves it because I think of him to be as much of a Ranger as I do a Capital. And Yvon Labre's number being retired is a complete joke.

#7? LANGWAY?


At least they retired the number he actually wore.

Bondra needs to be retired, he WAS the caps for a long time. And Kolzig too. A great player and better person.


As for the Jackets, they have not had anyone who really distinguished themselves yet. I imagine that Nash will someday because he was the first franchise player. Should current trends continue, I expect that Jack Johnson will eventually.

 

[elocomotive]

I would also put up a "fuck you messier" banner

Lol.

See, I think there need to be really high standards when it comes to retiring a number. REALLY high.

I think most agree with you, Pix. It's really the toughest career honor a player can achieve, even if the Hall of Fame is probably a more sought after goal.

The Honoured Number thing done by the Leafs, Blue, and Flames is interesting. I think if more teams did that you'd see this retired jerseys overall.

 

[elocomotive]

#7? LANGWAY?

LMAO! I don't know what I was thinking. Literally my thought process just now was 'What, I don't see what the... holy shit he was #5 why the hell did I write #7.'

Funny because the last time I played golf (I always pick the cart # based on best possible Caps' player) I had the #5 cart...
Me - "You want to take Mark Tinordi over here."
My dad - "No chance, we got Rod Langway sitting right here."

I would imagine non-hockey fans watching this might wonder what in the hell we are talking about.

 

[evolver115]

Jean Pronovost would probably be next in line for Pittsburgh after Jagr. He's top three in games played and goals scored for the Pens. If he hadn't been a part of so many crap teams, he might already have his jersey retired.

 

[forty_three]

The Pens should just retire 87 now (as it is Destiny), and when the player retires, they can also retire whatever number he has to switch to because 87 is retired. Then he can be the only player with two different numbers retired by one team.

 

[dash]

Flames screwed the pooch by not retiring MacInnis' #2 and then he went on to St. Louis and quickly became one of the Blues all-time favo(u)rite/greatest players. There's considerable talk about retiring Fleury's #14, I'm on the fence on that one, I guess I lean towards less retired jerseys than more (or put another way, if there's considerable debate, then that's probably a sign than the jersey should not be retired).

#12 will go to the rafters soon after he retires.

 

[TiLoBrown]

Well, we only have 3 but the next two locks are warranted since they hold so many records

 

[elocomotive]

Well, we only have 3 but the next two locks are warranted since they hold so many records

Brodeur and Kovolchuk, right?

 

[TiLoBrown]

Brodeur and Kovolchuk, right?

REPORTED!

 

[mattola]

For Canucks, Linden is a given.
I would have chosen Gradin over Smyl
Naslund is a no
Bure is a yes
Sedins are automatic, but maybe they can share a banner
Luongo gets it if we win a cup with him, and if he stays (good) here



I would also put up a "fuck you messier" banner

yeah I could go with this part as well.

 

[ritari330]

Kolzig and Bondra both deserve it IMO.

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

I have no issues with the Sabres current crop. Tim Horton didn't earn it so much during his time in Buffalo, but his untimely death is what got him up there. (EDIT: That and a hefty donation from the police benevolents association I'm sure)

The only other one that I think will happen will be Hasek.

I expect they'll do something for Rick Jeannerett when he retires too. They've already put up SHKIII and NRK banners for the Knox brothers who founded the team and they've already named the press box after Ted Darling, the TV play-by-play guy before RJ (RJ was radio only at the time), so there's definite precedence from the team in hono(u)ring non-players.

 

[thedddd]

The Bruins should retire #5 and #24 oh wait that is numbers of players the team should retire not the number of players who had cheap hits on their players that caused them to retire....
Sorry had to go there....

The Wild should retire #24 now so Matt Cooke can't have it.

Seriously though I agree with Pix it should be a high standard only.

Another question outside of #99 should any number be retired league wide? maybe #4 and #9...