One Player from Each NHL Franchise Whose Number Should Be Retired

One jersey, No. 99, is retired across the NHL in honor of Wayne Gretzky. 

Retiring a jersey immortalizes a player within a franchise. Across the league, some teams have several jerseys retired, while some of the more recent franchises sadly have none.

Some players on this list are past players that should have their jerseys looked at for retirement, while some players are still active. Either way, every player has made such an impact on his team that he should be honored by having his jersey hung from the rafters.

Anaheim Ducks: Teemu Selanne, No. 8

Besides Paul Kariya, there really is no other person I would put for the Ducks to have as their first-ever retired jersey.

First all-time in Ducks scoring, Teemu Selanne is a Duck at heart even though he posted his most successful season with the old Winnipeg Jets.

After this season, I think Selanne's No. 8 will be immediately retired.

Boston Bruins: Wayne Cashman, No. 12

The Bruins have a long history of successful players in the NHL. In fact, the Bruins have 10 retired jerseys and a whole slew of Hall of Famers.

Wayne Cashman is oddly left off that retired jersey list, however. Overall he is sixth in all-time Bruins scoring and played his entire career, 17 seasons, with Boston. He served as captain for his final five seasons as well.

Although their rafters may be crowded, the Bruins should consider retiring the No. 12 jersey.

Buffalo Sabres: Dominik Hasek, No. 39

Dominik "The Dominator" Hasek was probably the most dominant during his nine seasons with the Buffalo Sabres.

He won six Vezina Trophies and two Hart Trophies while playing for the Sabres, and although he won the Stanley Cup with Detroit, Hasek is easily the most successful goalie for the Sabres franchise.

Calgary Flames: Jarome Iginla, No. 12

Captain of the Flames since 2003-04, Jarome Iginla is the most iconic and most successful player in Calgary's history.

Iginla holds almost every record for the Flames, including goals, points and games played.

There is no doubt that his No. 12 jersey will be retired once he decides to retire.

Carolina Hurricanes: Eric Staal, No. 12

Maybe No. 12s are just franchise players by nature.

The third No. 12 on this list is Eric Staal, the most successful Carolina Hurricane in their short history.

Behind Rod Brind'Amour and Ron Francis, Eric Staal is one of the more famous Carolina players. Coupled with the fact that he is first in overall scoring for the Hurricanes, this means his number should eventually be retired.

Chicago Blackhawks: Jeremy Roenick, No. 27

Say what you will about Jeremy Roenick, but he was one heck of a Blackhawk.

Posting three consecutive 100-point seasons for the Blackhawks makes him one of the highest scorers in their franchise's history in only eight seasons.

Personally, I hope Roenick comes back to sportscasting for Versus/NBC Sports. Mike Milbury was horrible last night trying to operate the video board that Roenick had mastered during his stay.

Colorado Avalanche: Peter Forsberg, No. 21

This pick is kind of a cop-out. Peter Forsberg is one of the greats in the Avalanche organization and is about to be recognized for it on Saturday.

Colorado announced it will be retiring his No. 21 jersey for its home opener against Detroit on October 8th.

Forsberg is an Art Ross and Hart Trophy winner and currently is third on the all-time Colorado Avalanche score sheet.

Columbus Blue Jackets: Rick Nash, No. 61

Rick Nash is the biggest star in Columbus and will likely be the most successful player in its history.

No. 61 should be retired without question.

Dallas Stars: Mike Modano, No. 9

I couldn't decide between Marty Turco and Mike Modano for this pick because it is likely that both numbers will be retired at some point in the near future. 

Modano has nearly twice as many career Dallas points as his closest competitor, Sergei Zubov (1,050 vs. 549). Easily the most iconic player in Dallas will be a Star forever whenever they decide to retire his jersey.

Detroit Red Wings: Nicklas Lidstrom, No. 5

This may very well be Nick Lidstrom's last NHL season, marking the end of an era for the Detroit Red Wings. Lidstrom has played a total of 19 seasons with the Wings, accumulating 1,108 points in 1,494 games played.

If Lidstrom decides to retire after this season, look for Detroit to raise his number to the rafters in 2012-13.

Edmonton Oilers: Doug Weight, No. 39

It is hard to pick another number to be retired for Edmonton when Jari Kurri and Wayne Gretzky are very notable alumni. 

However, Doug Weight was a tremendous players and captain for Edmonton, once recording a 104-point, 75-assist season with the Oilers. If I had to choose another number for Edmonton to retire, it would be the recently retired Weight and his No. 39.

Florida Panthers: Pavel Bure, No. 10

The Panthers don't have the most storied franchise in the NHL. Since coming into the NHL in 1993-1994, the Panthers have only made the playoffs three times. 

Their most successful regular season came from the leadership of Pavel Bure in 1999-2000. He recorded 94 points and 58 goals.

The most skilled and influential Panther, Bure deserves to have his No. 10 retired in Florida.

Los Angeles Kings: Rob Blake, No. 4

Rob Blake is the most successful defenseman for the Los Angeles Kings. He recorded over 494 points for the Kings and even served as team captain for seven seasons.

With his retirement last summer, the Kings need to consider retiring his No. 4.

Minnesota Wild: Mikko Koivu, No. 9

Mikko Koivu was named the first team captain in franchise history in 2009, cementing his name in Wild lore forever. He also signed a seven-year contract extension in the same year, making it extremely likely that Koivu will be with the Wild for the long haul.

Overall, if Koivu stays through his extension, he will most likely be the highest-scoring Minnesota Wild in their franchise history. When he eventually retires, his No. 9 will be the first jersey in their rafters.

Montreal Canadiens: None

The Montreal Canadiens have 17 retired jerseys in their rafters, more than any other team in the National Hockey League. That includes the legendary Howie Morenz, whose resemblance is pictured here.

Having the most storied franchise in NHL history means that the Canadiens are more than well stocked with Hall of Famers and retired jerseys. Adding an 18th jersey doesn't seem like the best idea at this point for the Canadiens.

Nashville Predators: David Legwand, No. 11

With all the hype about Shea Weber and Pekka Rinne owning the airtime in Nashville, 12-year veteran David Legwand is often overlooked.

Legwand is the highest-scoring player in Nashville history with 448 points. He definitely deserves the nod for his jersey getting retired once he decides to leave the NHL in the future.

New Jersey Devils: Martin Brodeur, No. 30

Martin Brodeur may go down as the best goaltender in not only the Devils' history but also in the history of the NHL.

He holds countless goaltending records and is second in games played for the Devils. As soon as Brodeur decides to call it quits is the day his number is retired for the Devils.

New York Islanders: Pat LaFontaine, No. 16

Although they may have had some issues, Pat LaFontaine and the Islanders should come together and retire his No. 16 jersey in their rafters. 

The Sabres already retired LaFontaine's number even though he played in fewer games and had fewer points with their franchise. LaFontaine also scored one of the most famous playoff goals in NHL history with the Islanders during the "Easter Epic."

LaFontaine deserves to have his No. 16 retired on Long Island.

New York Rangers: Henrik Lundqvist, No. 30

Henrik Lundqvist has been the most valuable player for the Rangers for the past five years and will most likely continue his All-Star-level performance for another five years in New York.

If Lundqvist continues to play for the Rangers and continues to post the numbers he puts up pretty regularly, New York would be crazy not to retire his No. 30.

Ottawa Senators: Daniel Alfredsson, No. 11

There is no other player in the NHL that defined a franchise like Alfredsson has for Ottawa. Alfredsson is the franchise leader in every single statistical category in Ottawa, and it would be absurd to think his No. 11 won't be in the rafters of Scotiabank Place at some point.

Philadelphia Flyers: Eric Lindros, No. 88

Although he only played in eight seasons for Philadelphia, the often-injured Eric Lindros made a huge impact on the Flyers franchise.

He is fifth all-time in Flyers scoring with 659 points.

Phoenix Coyotes: Shane Doan, No. 19

Shane Doan, "Captain Coyote," as he is affectionately known, will most likely have his No. 19 in the rafters...somewhere.

With the outlook in Glendale not so bright, Doan will most likely be relocated to another part of North America once the Coyotes move. Either way, Doan's impact on the defunct Jets/current Coyotes will not go unnoticed, and his No. 19 will be retired.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Jaromir Jagr, No. 68

The Penguins are likely waiting for his retirement from hockey before they retire Jagr's No. 68 in Pittsburgh.

Second in all-time Penguins scoring behind Mario Lemieux, Jagr is a shoo-in for jersey retirement.

San Jose Sharks: Patrick Marleau, No. 12

Patrick Marleau has been a Shark his entire career, and although Owen Nolan and Joe Thornton deserve some nods here, Marleau comes through with the greatest chance at jersey retirement.

His No. 12 jersey has played in 14 seasons for the Sharks, accumulating 766 points in 1,035 games.

St. Louis Blues: Pavol Demitra, No. 38

The late Pavol Demitra deserves to have his number retired by St. Louis. Posting 494 points in 495 games for the Blues, Demitra was an excellent hockey player and leader for the Blues.

His No. 38 has already been retired in several international rinks, and I expect the same to be done in St. Louis.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Martin St. Louis, No. 26

Although Vinny Lecavalier is right on his heels, Martin St. Louis is the most talented and important player so far in the relatively short life of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Accumulating 758 points in 785 games played, St. Louis deserves to have his No. 26 honored as the first jersey retired in Tampa Bay.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Mats Sundin, No. 13

Although they don't technically retire numbers, the Maple Leafs do honor numbers that are worn by great franchise players. Mats Sundin is that player.

Sundin is the Toronto franchise leader in points and goals and should have his No. 13 honored in Toronto.

Vancouver Canucks: Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Nos. 22 and 33

Likely to stay together till the end, Henrik and Daniel Sedin will have their numbers retired in Vancouver.

Fourth and fifth in Vancouver history in scoring, the Sedins are going to have Nos. 22 and 33 immortalized at some point.

Washington Capitals: Alex Ovechkin, No. 8

Alex Ovechkin will have his number retired in Washington whenever he decides to retire. Easily one of the more influential players in Capitals history, Ovechkin literally revived a city with his breakout in Washington.

Already third all-time on Washington's scoring list, Ovechkin appears to be with the Capitals for the long haul. His tremendous 13-year contract, which is the richest in NHL history, lends credence to that idea.

"The Great Eight" will have his number in the rafters at some point in the future.

Winnipeg Jets: ?

There are a couple of options here.

The old Winnipeg Jets, the late Atlanta Thrashers and the current Winnipeg Jets all could have players up for the running here.

I'm going to call the current Winnipeg franchise a completely new team and not pick a player for jersey retirement. However, if captain Andrew Ladd sticks around for a while, he could be eyeing that spot in the rafters at some point.