Sweaters numbers are synonymous with players. Most hockey fans can instantly tell you a great player by the number they wear on their back. There are many different stories about how players became associated with the famous numbers. Many odd and interesting facts surround these numbers as well. As we count down the start of the 2023-24 NHL season, we take a look at the story behind the numbers. Today we continue with sweater number 91. Keep up to date with the series everyday until the start of the 2023-24 NHL season.
Behind the Sweater Number: 91
The First 91
One may think a certain Russian player was the first to wear sweater number 91 in the league. However, the history of that number is a bit longer. There have been 41 players that have worn 91 in the history of the NHL according to Hockey Reference. However, New York Islanders great Butch Goring was the first. Goring originally wore 19 with the Los Angles Kings and had 22 initially after being traded to the Isles. However, he would switch over to 91 in the 1980-81 season.
The St. Boniface, Manitoba native was the final piece of the Islanders puzzle and would help them to four Stanley Cups. Goring would eventually head to the Boston Bruins and wear 22 once again. However, he left a spectacular legacy with sweater number 91. The Islanders eventually retired the number 91 in 2020.
The Great 91 Debate
Sergei Fedorov
Here’s the first of likely a number of debates on who wore the number the best. There would be another 91 that would take the league by storm and that would be Sergei Fedorov. “The Russian Rocket” came over in the 1990-91 season after being part of the vaunted Soviet Red Army team. Fedorov was an instant sensation and made the Detroit Red Wings an instantly fun team to watch. Detroit would finally win a Stanley Cup in the 1996-97 season and hoisted the Cup three times.
Fedorov was given the 91 because it was in the inverse of captain Steve Yzerman. The Russian centre was a big fan of Yzerman and the two were a big part of the Wings success in the 1990s and early 2000s. Fedorov would go into the Hockey Hall of Fame with 483 goals in 1,248 career games.
Steven Stamkos
However, there’s another great player to wear sweater number 91. The story behind Stankos wearing 91 is traced back to fellow future 91, John Tavares. Both players were on the same team that was coached by Stamkos’ father. Tavares and Stamkos both wanted to wear 19, but only one player was allowed to. The elder Stamkos didn’t want to play favourites, so he gave his son 91 and let Tavares wear 19. It would be a crucial moment in the younger Stamkos’ career as he never gave up the number after that.
Steven Stamkos was also a fan of 19s Joe Sakic and Yzerman. Stamkos has gone onto score 515 goals in 1,003 NHL games. The Markham, Ontario native also has two Stanley Cups and two Maurice Richard trophies. The Tampa Bay Lightning captain can make his own argument that he’s the best to wear 91. However, both should be appreciated for their contributions to the game.
A Number of Greatness
The stats behind sweater number one aren’t limited to Goring, Stamkos and Fedorov. Tavares would eventually switch over to 91 and wear the number with the Islanders and his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. The current Leafs captain has 427 career goals in 1,029 and even has the nickname “JT91.”
Vladimir Tarasenko and Tyler Seguin have become known as great goal-scorers while wearing the number. Tarasenko has 270 career tallies while Seguin has 326. Both players are also Stanley Cup champions. Nazem Kadri won himself a championship while with the Colorado Avalanche. The number has greatness attached to it.
The Future of 91
There’s already so much rich history attached to sweater number 91, but this could inspire a new generation. Fedorov and Goring are Hall of Famers while Stamkos is a surefire lock. Seguin and Tarasenko have both carved out successful careeers.
The future is unknown with who the next great 91 will be, but the number has a rich history behind it. It’ll be interesting to see where we go from here.
Main photo by: Morgan Tencza-USA TODAY Sports
