Who wore number 21 in NHL?

Choosing a jersey number sometimes has a philosophy of its own. Each NHL player has his own number logic and usually keeps this number for the rest of his career if possible.

Stan Mikita

Stanley Mikita was a Slovak-born Canadian ice hockey player for the Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League, generally regarded as the best centre of the 1960s. In 2017, he was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players. He became the first Slovak-born player who won the Stanley Cup in 1961.

Kyle Okposo

Kyle Henry Erovre Okposo is an American professional ice hockey player known as the right winger and alternate captain for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted seventh overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Islanders, for whom he played from 2008 to 2016.

Peter Forsberg

Peter Mattias Forsberg is a Swedish former professional ice hockey player and former assistant general manager of Modo Hockey. Nicknamed “Peter the Great” and “Foppa”, Forsberg was known for his on-ice vision and physical play, and is considered one of the greatest players of all time. Although his career was shortened by persistent injuries, he stands as one of the all-time leaders in career points-per-game and career assists-per-game in the NHL. In 2017 Forsberg was named one of the ‘100 Greatest NHL Players’ in history.

His 19-year professional career includes 13 years in the National Hockey League (NHL), where he won two Stanley Cups with the Colorado Avalanche, as well as several individual honors including the Hart Memorial Trophy in 2003. He is one of the highest all-time Swedish point scorers in the NHL regular season. Before his short-lived comeback season in 2011, Forsberg never had a negative plus-minus rating, giving him an overall career rating of +238.

Representing Sweden in international play, Forsberg competed in four Winter Olympics, two World Cups and five World Championships, as well as one European Junior Championship and two World Junior Championships. He won four gold medals with Sweden in his career, winning titles at the 1992 and 1998 World Championships and the 1994 and 2006 Winter Olympics. Combined with his two Stanley Cup championships in NHL play, he is a member of the Triple Gold Club and the first Swede who has won each of the three competitions twice. In 2013, he was inducted to the IIHF Hall of Fame, and in 2014, he was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Peter Forsberg was a superstar forward, with “outstanding” playmaking skills and “great vision” who “possesses an excellent combination of skill and physical play”. In the prime of his career, he was considered by many as the best two-way player in the world. Capable of combining physical play and hitting with skill, he was also acclaimed for being responsible offensively and defensively. Said to have a “Wayne Gretzky-like” passing touch, he has been complimented by journalists and players for making the players around him better. Because of his physicality on the ice, he has been credited with helping to change the perception that Swedish hockey players were not tough.

Borje Salming

Anders Börje Salming, nicknamed “The King”, is a Swedish retired professional ice hockey defenceman. He played for Brynäs IF, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Detroit Red Wings, and AIK. Salming was one of the first European players to make an impact in the National Hockey League (NHL), paving the way for future generations of players. He was one of the premier defencemen of his era in the NHL, and was recognized for this by being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996. Remembered for his many seasons with the Maple Leafs, he holds numerous franchise records.

Salming also played extensively for Sweden in international play. He was recognized for this by being selected to the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Centennial All-Star Team. In 2017 Salming was named one of the ‘100 Greatest NHL Players’ in history.

Brent Sutter

Brent Colin Sutter is a Canadian former National Hockey League (NHL) player and former head coach of the New Jersey Devils and Calgary Flames. Selected by the New York Islanders 17th overall at the 1980 NHL Entry Draft, Sutter played over 1,000 games for the Islanders and Chicago Blackhawks during his 18-year career. He won the Stanley Cup twice with the Islanders and was an All-Star. He represented Canada on numerous occasions, winning the Canada Cup three times.

After retiring as a player in 1998, Sutter bought the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League and served as the team’s head coach and general manager for eight seasons, winning the Memorial Cup in 2001. He coached the Canadian junior team to gold medals at the 2005 and 2006 World Junior Hockey Championships, as well as winning the 2007 Super Series. Sutter compiled a 19–0–1 record in three years as the national junior team coach. He joined the New Jersey Devils as their head coach in 2007. He led the Devils to one division title in two seasons before leaving New Jersey to take on the same position in Calgary, working for brother Darryl, who was at the time, the Flames’ general manager.

He is a member of the famous Sutter family. He was one of six brothers, along with Brian, Darryl, Duane, Ron, and Rich, to play in the NHL. He coached his son Brandon and nephew Brett while with Red Deer; both have also gone on to play in the NHL. His daughter Brooke played volleyball for Red Deer College and was a first team conference all-star in 2013.

Camille Henry

Joseph Wilfred Camille “The Eel” Henry was a professional Canadian ice hockey left winger who played for the New York Rangers, the Chicago Black Hawks and the St. Louis Blues in the National Hockey League.

Dennis Abgrall

Dennis Harvey Abgrall is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League and World Hockey Association. Abgrall was born in Moosomin, Saskatchewan.

He was previously employed as a French teacher at the Arizona School for the Arts.

Frank Bathe

Francis Leonard Bathe is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey defenceman who played nine seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers.

Frank is also known as the owner of Jetport Gas.

Bob Baun

Robert Neil Baun is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League for 17 seasons from 1956 to 1973. His nickname is “Boomer”.

Mark Astley

Mark Astley is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the tenth round, 194th overall, of the 1989 NHL Entry Draft. He retired at the end of the 2006–2007 season.

In his NHL career, Astley played in 75 games, all for Buffalo. He scored four goals and had nineteen assists.

Astley won a silver medal playing for Canada in the 1994 Winter Olympics.

David Backes

David Anthony Backes is an American former professional ice hockey forward. He played for fifteen seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the St. Louis Blues, Boston Bruins and Anaheim Ducks. Backes was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but grew up in Spring Lake Park, Minnesota.

After two seasons of junior hockey with the Lincoln Stars of the United States Hockey League, Backes was selected 62nd overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Following his draft, he joined the Minnesota State Mavericks men’s hockey team of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, spending three seasons in the college hockey ranks. Forgoing his senior year with the Mavericks, he turned professional with the Blues, joining their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Peoria Rivermen. Midway through the 2006–07 season, Backes was called up to the NHL and secured a roster spot with the Blues. Following his fifth season with St. Louis, he was chosen as team captain.

Internationally, Backes decided to represent the United States. He is a two-time Olympian, winning silver at the 2010 Games in Vancouver, and has played in three IIHF World Championships.