Sweater 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 71. Keep up to date with the series everyday until the start of the 2023-24 NHL season.
Behind the Sweater Number: 71
The First 71s
According to Hockey Reference, 67 players have worn sweater number 71. Hockey Reference lists Mike Foligno as one of the first to wear the number. Foligno was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs from the Buffalo Sabres. Foligno was wearing 17 for a number of seasons before the deal. However, Wendel Clark has 17 with the Leafs. The simple solution was the best one as Foligno would switch the number order to 71. He’d go back to 17 in his final season with the Florida Panthers.
Foligno did have the number for parts of four seasons, but it was his son, Nick Foligno, that wore wear it longer. Nick started with the number from 2007 until 2021. Ironically, Nick would switch to 17 when he came to the Boston Bruins. Another does of irony has Clark took 71 when he played with the Detroit Red Wings because Doug Brown had 17.
The other player that had sweater number 71 in the 1990-91 was Dennis Vaske with the New York Islanders. Vaske would only wear the number for five games before going to 37, 28 and 29 in that order.
Geno and 71
The Pittsburgh Penguins have had players wear sweater number 71 in their history. Jiri Slegr had the number first in the 1997-98 season and Konstantin Koltsov would wear it for a pair of seasons. However, it would be the next person to don the number to take it to the next level. Evgeni Malkin wore the number with Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the Russian Superleague. (This is the league before the KHL.) Koltsov not getting a contact opened the door for Malkin to take the number.
The Russian thought 71 looked like 11, but he liked the feel of it and played well in the number. He certainly did play well as 71 in winning the Calder Trophy in 2006-07 and the Hart Trophy in 2011-12. Malkin also got a Conn Smythe in 2009 and the Art Ross Trophy in 2008-09 and 2011-12. The man called “Geno” has three Stanley Cups and is one of best players in the last two decades. He’d be the number one guy in Pittsburgh if not for the best guy to wear 87. (Today is also Malkin’s birthday, so happy birthday to him.)
The Future of 71
Malkin may be nearing the end of his career in a couple seasons. However, the number is in great hands. Dylan Larkin is the captain of the Red Wings and that team is ready to hopefully take the next step. Larkin just happened up 71 and just ran with it for his career. William Karlsson of the Vegas Golden Knights is coming off a Stanley Cup Playoff victory. “Wild Bill” is a big part of the Golden Knights championship and an original Knight.
Anthony Cirelli has been a rock for the Tampa Bay Lightning and got paid for his efforts. Tampa’s 71 made he All-Rookie team in 2018-19 and two Stanley Cups to his name. Malkin and all these players are going to inspire a generation of 71. Especially Malkin to young skaters in Western Pennsylvania. Well… 71 and 87 are numbers that kids are going to have arguments over in pee wee and youth hockey rinks all over that part of the state.
Main photo by: Emilee Chinn/Getty Images
