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 46. Keep up to date with the series everyday until the start of the 2023-24 NHL season.
Behind the Sweater Number: 46
The First 46s
According to Hockey Reference, 148 players have donned sweater number 47 since it kept records back to the 1950-51 season. Hockey Reference lists Scott Howson of the New York Islanders as the first player to don the digits. This happened in the 1984-85 season, but he would be the only Islander to take the number that season. Vern Smith had sweater number 46 for one game in the same campaign. Smith would be one of the many that would have a one-game NHL career.
There wouldn’t be another 46 in the league until the 1988-89 season. Brent Hughes had 46 for the original Winnipeg Jets. There was another, but we’ll get to him in the cameos section. Three others would join Hughes in the 1989-90 season, including Don Biggs, Ed Cristofoli and Dale Kushner.
Cameos
There would be a few famous players that would take the 46 sweater. Curtis Leschyshyn would have a lengthy career in the league of 1.033 career games. However, he’d start off with sweater number 46 with the Quebec Nordiques. Todd Gill would do the opposite with the Chicago Blackhawks and have sweater number 46 as his last number. Gill would wrap up his career in 2002-03 after 1,007 games. Mark Giordano would have the number in his rookie season with the Calgary Flames in 2005-06.
A trio of NHL coaches had 46 in their careers as Todd Richards, Todd Reirden and Sheldon Keefe each had the number. Trevor Zegras started his career with the Anaheim Ducks as 46, but he moved onto 11. The most famous player that had a short stint with the number is Martin St. Louis. He started his career with the Flames in 1998-98 with the number. The former University of Vermont product would eventually settle on 26 and make the Hockey Hall of Fame.
David Krejci
The player many think is the best 46 with a lengthy run with the number is David Krejci with the Boston Bruins. Krejci recently retired after playing 1,032 games in the NHL, but also played in Europe. He helped Boston win the Stanley Cup in the 2010-11 season and contributed 12 goals and 23 points during that run.
Krejci took sweater number 46 after wearing 23 in the AHL. However, that number was taken by veteran Paul Mara at the time. The Czech forward would be given 46 and the rest would be history. Krejci would go on to have a great career as one of the better defensive centres in the league. He’d also be one of the cleaner players in the league and get Lady Byng votes.
Others & the Future
Minnesota Wild captain Jared Spurgeon has worn sweater number 46 since debuting in 2010-11. Roman Polak donned the number for every season but his final two in the league. Andrei Kostitsyn played nearly 400 games and wore 46 for all of them.
Ilya Lyubushkin returned to the number after a brief flirtation with the number 26. Blake Lizotte has been sweater number 46 since breaking into the league 258 games ago.
Main photo by: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
