5 iconic jersey numbers retired in the NHL ft. Miikka Kiprusoff

By Cole Shelton

Modified Jul 18, 2023 16:16 GMT

In the NHL, getting your jersey retired is one of the biggest honors a player can have. It means the player made a major impact on the team and played long enough on one team to be honored.

Jersey retirements do not happen often and next season, the Calgary Flames will be adding Miikka Kiprusoff to the list.

Let's take a look at five iconic jersey retirements, starting off with Kiprusoff.

#1, Miikka Kiprusoff

The Calgary Flames announced on Tuesday they will be retiring Miikka Kiprusoff's number 34 on March 2, 2024. Meaning, no other Flames player can ever wear #34 in honor of the goalies' accomplishments.

Kiprusoff played nine seasons with the Calgary Flames after starting his career out with the San Jose Sharks. With the Flames, he started 572 games and won 305 games with a .913 SV% and a 2.46 GAA. He also won the Vezina trophy for the best goalie in 2006.

#2, Gordie Howe

Gordie Howe had his number 9 retired by the Detroit Red Wings back in 1972.

Howe is one of the most iconic figures in the NHL as he played 26 seasons in the league with all but one with the Red Wings. In his NHL career, he played in 1767 regular season games and had 1,850 points, and won the Art Ross Trophy and the Hart Trophy six times each.

He was also named to the All-Star team 23 times and won the Stanley Cup four times with the Red Wings.

#3, Mario Lemieux

Mario Lemieux has his #66 retired by the Penguins

Mario Lemieux is one of the best players to ever play in the NHL and his #66 was retired by the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Lemieux played his entire 17 seasons with the Penguins and played in 915 games and recorded 1723 points. He also helped lead Pittsburgh to a Stanley Cup in 1991 and 1992 and has since won three more as an executive with the club.

Mario Lemieux was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1997 and won the Art Ross six times, the Hart three times, and was named an All-Star 12 times.

#4, Bobby Orr

Bobby Orr is the best defenseman to ever play in the NHL and one of the best players of all time. To no surprise, his jersey number is retired by the Boston Bruins.

Orr played for 12 seasons with the first 10 with the Bruins and had to retire due to knee injuries. Yet, in 657 games, he recorded 915 points and was the first and only defenseman to score nine hat tricks, and the only defenseman to win the Lester B. Pearson Award.

As well, he is the only player ever to win the Norris Trophy, Art Ross Trophy, Hart Trophy, and Conn Smythe Trophy in one season (1969–70). Finally, Bobby Orr is also the only defenseman to win the Art Ross Trophy as the league leader in scoring (1969–70, 1974–75).

Although his career was cut short, Orr is one of the best ever and has his #4 retired by the Bruins.

#5, Wayne Gretzky

Wayne Gretzky has his #99 retired across the NHL

Wayne Gretzky is the most iconic NHL player to have his jersey retired as he is the greatest player to ever play in the league.

Gretzky played 20 seasons, 1,487 regular season games, recording 2,857 points. He won a record nine Hart Trophies as the most valuable player in the NHL and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000.

With how good Wayne Gretzky is, he is the only player in NHL history to have his number retired by every team in the league. With that, not a single player will get to wear #99 again.