When Victor Hedman chose to wear No. 77, the temptation was to say, "A little presumptuous isn't it, kid?"
High numbers don't always have to be earned by NHL rookies. After all, Sidney Crosby came right into the NHL wearing No. 87 and some guy named Gretzky was given No. 99 as a rookie in the World Hockey Association with Edmonton, and they did all right.
According to Hockey-Reference.com, the only player to ever wear No. 87 before Crosby came along was Donald Brashear, the longtime enforcer who wore it with Philadelphia. Wilf Paiement and Rick Dudley are the only other two NHL players who ever wore No. 99, which has since been permanently retired by the NHL in honor of Wayne Gretzky.
No. 77, though, has some pedigree to live up to—especially for a defenseman.
Though the number was worn by some pretty good forwards (Phil Esposito, Pierre Turgeon, Adam Oates, Cliff Ronning), it is probably best remembered for being on the back of Ray Bourque, the Hall of Famer who won the Stanley Cup in his final game in 2001 after a 22-year career with Boston and Colorado.
A lot of other ...
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Article written by Adrian Dater
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