Why does gretzky wear 99

At the site, Joe was asked in regular " Ask the Hockey History Blogger " about the origins of the number 99 in the game of hockey. While it is common knowledge these days that two players of recent vintage Rick Dudley and Wilf Paiment wore Wayne Gretzky's famous number, details concerning the three Montreal Canadiens are a little fuzzier.

Quote from the GHL post:. This is a pretty common question I get. The answer is 5 other players wore 99, including two who wore it at the same time as Gretzky in the early s. The first occurrence of number 99 came way back during the NHL season.

The story around this has never really been solved. The likely story is the Habs had an extra jersey used for practices with the number 99 on it. Lamb, Roche and Bourgeault were all call ups during the season, playing briefly with the Habs. All three likely shared the jersey for their various appearances.

Who was first to wear 99? Again, that's real vague and a question no one seems to know the answer to for sure. Looking through the archives of Le Petit Journal , to the week of November 10, , the entire first game of that season's schedule is documented in the sports section's pages. The following day, a summary appeared, along with a listing of player numbers for fans to keep in following the team.

Of the three players mentioned above by Joe, only Joe Lamb was dressed for the opening night loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. As both Roche and Bourgeault were not yet on the Canadiens' roster, it goes without saying that Joe Lamb was the first of the three players on the Canadiens, and in hockey, to wear the number 99 sweater. Lamb acquitted himself well in Canadiens uniform number 99, notching 3 goals and 2 assists in seven games. On December 4, , Lamb was traded twice in the same day.

First, the Canadiens sent his rights back to Boston for cash and the Bruins immediately dealt him to the St. After 31 games with the Eagles, Lamb was back with the Maroons the following season, followed by another year and a half with the Americans once more, rounding out his NHL career with 14 games in a Red Wings sweater. Desse Roche was acquired by the Canadiens from Boston in a cash deal on December 8, He would suit up for five games with Montreal, first wearing the number 75, and then 99, gaining one assist in that time.

Marie Greyhounds, and continued after that. As the story goes, he wanted number 9 with the Greyhounds, in honour of his hero, Gordie Howe, but that number was taken.

He tried 14 and19 for a while, until his coach suggested doubling up on the 9s, and the rest is history. Get a new mixed Fun Trivia quiz each day in your email. It's a fun way to start your day! Which event marked the only time that ice hockey legends Bobby Orr and Wayne Gretzky played in the same game? Which Number Did He Wear? USA by Numbers. Number 13 has always been thought to bring bad luck to those who use it. Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, Alan Shearer is considered to be one of the greatest strikers to have ever played the game — he also loved scoring against Everton.

Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel. Research Paper. Ben Davis April 19, Why was Gretzky Number 99? Who was the first NHL player to wear number 99?