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 67. Keep up to date with the series everyday until the start of the 2023-24 NHL season.
Behind the Sweater Number: 67
The First 67s
According to Hockey Reference, 37 players have donned sweater number 37. The website lists Tom Askey of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim as the first player to have the number. Askey would have a short NHL career and play only seven games before the goalie would bounce around the minors and Europe.
Vancouver native Mike Kennedy would take the number next with the New York Islanders. Kennedy had worn 39 with the Dallas Stars and Toronto Maple Leafs. However, he would take sweater number 67 for his one game with the Isles in the 1998-99 season.
Solid 67s
The first player to really get a decent career with the number is Benoit Pouliot with the Minnesota Wild. Pouliot would debut with the number in the 2006-07. However, he would switch to 57 in parts of two seasons with the Montreal Canadiens. The Alfred, Ontario native would go back to 67 when he went to the Boston Bruins and he’d keep the number the rest of his career. New York Rangers fans will remember the line he formed with Mats Zuccarello and Derick Brassard in the team’s Stanley Cup Final appearance.
Max Pacioretty started his career in the 2008-09 NHL season with the sweater number 67. The American would debut with the Habs and would become a reliable 30-goal scorer for the club. That trend would continue with the Vegas Golden Knights. Injuries derailed his brief tenure with the Carolina Hurricanes. However, he’s looking to bounce back with the Washington Capitals.
Michael Frolik also debuted in the 2008-09 season with the Florida Panthers. The Czech forward would keep the number for the entirety of his career. Frolik won a Stanley Cup and ended his career with 159 goals.
Richard Rakell would be one of the next players to debut with sweater number 67 when he debuted in the 2012-13 season. Rakell has played in 651 career games and totaled 186 goals with the Duecks and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Future of 67
There are players Lawson Crouse for the Arizona Coyotes that have become solid players with the number. The 26-year-old has been a very good forward with the Coyotes. Jakub Zboril has worn the sweater number 67 for a few seasons.
Some good players have worn the number, but there may be someone waiting in the wings to take the number and run with it. Like a lot of these higher numbers, there haven’t been a lot of players to don those numbers.
Main photo by: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
