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 57. Keep up to date with the series everyday until the start of the 2023-24 NHL season.
Behind the Sweater Number: 57
The First 57s
According to Hockey Reference, 60 players have worn sweater number 57. Mark Hamway was the first player to take number according to the website. The Detroit native was given the number in the 1984-85 season for two games for the New York Islanders. Hamway would switch to 28 in the 1985-86 season and end up with 17.
The next player to wear the number was Shawn Evans with the Islanders once again. He would wear the number in the 1989-90 for two games during that season. Sean Whyte would next have the number for three games in the 1991-92 for the Los Angeles Kings. Chris Murray would start his career with the Montreal Canadiens with that number for 51 games across two seasons.
Heinze 57
Sweater number 57 does allow the chance for some humour. Steve Heinze was an NHL player in the 1990s and early 2000s. The Lawrence, Mass. native came up with the Boston Bruins and wanted to wear the number 57. Heinz is the name of a brand of ketchup and Heinze wanted to wear the number. However, the Bruins didn’t grant his request.
Heinze would finally get the chance to wear the number when he went to the Columbus Blue Jackets. He’d take sweater number 57 with the Buffalo Sabres and the Kings. He actually cashed in on the chance to have some fun with the number unlike Mike Commodore and the number 64.
David Perron
One of the top players to wear sweater number 57 is David Perron. The Sherbrooke, Quebec native came into the league with the St. Louis Blues in the 2007-08 season. Perron broke in as an 19-year-old and has been a consistent 20-goal scorer for his career.
The origin of him getting 57 is a pretty simple one. Perron was given the number in training camp as young player. Equipment managers finally asked Perron if he wanted to switch, but he was fine with the number.
He’s never looked back for most of his career. He did take 39 for the Pittsburgh Penguins for the 2014-15 season. However, he’d switch back to sweater number 57 in his next season and kept it at a number of stops.
Other 57s and the Future
A number of players took the number for a good chunk of their career. Gabriel Bourque wore the digits for all 413 career NHL games. Blake Comeau started his career off with 57 with the Islanders. German player Marcel Goc ended his career in the number 57. Tyler Myers has 918 career games under his belt in the 57 sweater. Other players like Tommy Wingels, Dante Fabbro and Trevor van Riemsdyk have worn or are wearing the number.
At least Heinze got the joke with this number and there was a good little story to go with it. Perron still wears the number with the Detroit Red Wings and is hoping to be part of the team’s resurgence.
Main photo by: Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
