Who wore number 23 in NHL?

The fortunate players who get to choose their own number often choose a lucky number, stick with the one they’ve always worn or wear a number in honor of a family member. Some players though, choose a number that’s cute or a deep and meaningful number.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Oliver Oscar Emanuel Ekman-Larsson is a Swedish professional ice hockey player known as the defenceman and alternate captain for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Known by his initials “OEL”, Ekman-Larsson was originally selected sixth overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Previously seen by many as one of the NHL’s top offensive defenceman, Ekman-Larsson led the Coyotes in scoring in both the 2014–15 and 2015–16 seasons.

Bob Gainey

Robert Michael Gainey is a former professional ice hockey player who played for the Montreal Canadiens from 1973 until 1989. After retiring from active play, he became a hockey coach and later an executive with the Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars organization before returning to Montreal as general manager from 2003 to 2010. Gainey is also known as a team consultant for the St. Louis Blues as well as a volunteer senior advisor for the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992. In 2017 Gainey was named one of the ‘100 Greatest NHL Players’ in history.

Brian Bellows

Brian Edward Bellows is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played nearly 1,200 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Minnesota North Stars, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the Washington Capitals. He was a member of the 1993 Stanley Cup-winning Montreal Canadiens.

Milan Hejduk

Milan Hejduk is a Czech-American former professional ice hockey forward. Nicknamed “the Duke”, he spent his entire 14-year National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Colorado Avalanche and retired playing 1,020 career games as an Avalanche player. In 2003, he won the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the NHL’s leading goal scorer. He is a member of Czech Ice Hockey Hall of Fame.

Bob Nystrom

Robert Thore Nystrom is a Swedish-Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger. He played for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1972–86. He is best remembered as having scored the winning goal at the 7:11 mark of overtime to give the New York Islanders the 1980 Stanley Cup title. This signaled the first of four straight championships for the club. He was also among the last NHL players to not wear a helmet during a game.

Playing his minor hockey in Hinton, Alberta, Nystrom is immortalized on the town’s wall of fame. He is arguably the most successful NHL player from the geographical area that yielded the likes of Dave Scatchard and Dean McAmmond.

His son Eric last played professional hockey for Norway’s Stavanger Oilers, and previously played for the Nashville Predators, Calgary Flames, Minnesota Wild, and Dallas Stars of the NHL.

Eddie Shack

Edward Steven Phillip Shack, also known by his nicknames “the Entertainer” and “the Nose”, was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played for six National Hockey League (NHL) teams from 1959 to 1975. He spent eight and a half seasons of his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, with whom he won the Stanley Cup in 1962, 1963, 1964, and 1967.

Andrew Agozzino

Andrew Agozzino is a Canadian professional ice hockey left wing known for playing with the Belleville Senators in the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Cody Almond

Cody Almond is a Canadian-born Swiss professional ice hockey centre known for playing with Lausanne HC of the National League (NL). He has formerly played for the Minnesota Wild in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Red Berenson

Gordon Arthur “Red, The Red Baron” Berenson is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre and head coach of the Michigan Wolverines men’s ice hockey team from 1984 to 2017. Berenson was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2005 and the US Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018.

Sean Bergenheim

Sean Bergenheim is a Finnish former professional ice hockey winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers and Minnesota Wild.

Mike Antonovich

Michael Joseph John “Antone” Antonovich is a former American professional hockey player, and coach. He was selected in the ninth round of the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft, 113th overall, by the Minnesota North Stars. He is also known as a scout for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Blair Atcheynum

Blair Michael Atcheynum is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger. Atcheynum from Sweetgrass First Nation is of Cree descent.

Norm Barnes

Norman Leonard Barnes is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played five seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Philadelphia Flyers and Hartford Whalers. He also played for Canada in the 1981 IIHF ice hockey world championships in Stockholm, Sweden.

As a youth, he played in the 1965 and 1966 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments with the Toronto Bruins and Toronto Shopsy’s minor ice hockey teams.

Murray Baron

Murray McElwain Roy Baron is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Philadelphia Flyers, St. Louis Blues, Montreal Canadiens, Phoenix Coyotes, and Vancouver Canucks.

Doug Barrie

Douglas Robert Barrie is a Canadian former ice hockey defenceman. He played in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, and Los Angeles Kings. He also played in the World Hockey Association for the Alberta/Edmonton Oilers.

In his NHL career, Barrie played in 158 games, scoring 10 goals and adding 42 assists. He played in 350 WHA games, scoring 37 goals and adding 122 assists.

John Bednarski

John Severn Bednarski is a Canadian former ice hockey defenceman, who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Rangers and the Edmonton Oilers.

Bednarski was born in Thunder Bay, Ontario. An alumnus of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, he signed with the Rangers as a free agent in 1972 and began play in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Rochester Americans. He made his NHL debut in 1974 with the Rangers, playing a total of 99 games over three seasons, and scored 2 goals and 18 assists. In 1977, he returned to the minor leagues before signing with the Oilers for their first year in the NHL, playing only one game before being sent back down to the minors.

He later signed a contract with the Buffalo Sabres but never played another NHL game. He eventually became the radio and TV analyst for the Americans for many years before resigning prior to the 2005–06 season. In 2007, Bednarski was inducted into the Americans Hall of Fame.

Bob Berry

Bob Berry is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger who played eight seasons in the National Hockey League with the Montreal Canadiens and Los Angeles Kings between 1968 and 1977. He has also served as a head coach in the NHL for the Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens, Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis Blues between 1978 and 1994.

Nick Beverley

Nicholas Gerald Beverley is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and coach. Beverley played over 500 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) and later coached in both the NHL and American Hockey League (AHL).

Todd Bidner

Richard Todd Bidner is a Canadian retired ice hockey centre.

Bidner was born in Petrolia, Ontario. Drafted in 1980 by the Washington Capitals, Bidner played a dozen games with the Capitals. He spent most of his playing career playing in Great Britain and played for their national team at the 1994 World Championship, Pool A.

In August 2006 it was announced that Bidner will become the new assistant coach of the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League.

On Feb 17, 2012, Bidner was hired to replace Sean Gillam as head coach of the SPHL’s Fayetteville FireAntz.