Who wore number 39 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.

Dominik Hasek

Dominik Hašek is a Czech former ice hockey goaltender who mostly played for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). Widely regarded as one of the best goaltenders of all time, Hašek also played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings and the Ottawa Senators in his 16-season National Hockey League (NHL) career, before finishing his career in Europe. During his years in Buffalo, he became one of the league’s finest goaltenders, earning him the nickname “The Dominator”. His strong play has been credited with establishing European goaltenders in a league previously dominated by North Americans. He is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, both with the Red Wings.

Hašek was one of the league’s most successful goaltenders of the 1990s and early 2000s. From 1993 to 2001, he won six Vezina Trophies, the most under the award’s current system of voting for the best individual goalie. In 1998 he won his second consecutive Hart Memorial Trophy, becoming the first goaltender to win the award multiple times. During the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, he led the Czech national ice hockey team to its first Olympic gold medal. The feat made him a popular figure in his home country and prompted hockey legend Wayne Gretzky to call him “the best player in the game”. While with the Red Wings in 2002, Hašek became the first European-trained starting goaltender to win the Stanley Cup.

Hašek was considered an unorthodox goaltender, with a distinct style that labeled him a “flopper”. He was best known for his concentration, foot speed, flexibility, and unconventional saves, such as covering the puck with his blocker rather than his trapper. Hašek holds one of the highest career save percentage (0.9223), goals against average (first in the modern era) (2.202), and single-season save percentage (0.9366 in 1998–99). His record was broken by Tim Thomas in the 2010–11 season and again in the 2011–12 season by Brian Elliott (.940). Hašek is the first goalie to face the most shots per 60 minutes and have the highest save percentage in one season. He did it twice while with the Sabres (1996 and 1998).

At the time of his retirement, he was the oldest active goalie in the NHL at 43, and the second-oldest active player in the league after Red Wings teammate Chris Chelios, who was 46. Hašek announced his retirement on June 9, 2008, but on April 21, 2009, he announced a comeback to professional hockey and signed a contract with HC Pardubice of the Czech Extraliga. On June 7, 2010, he signed with Spartak Moscow of the KHL and played the last season of his career with this team. Hašek announced his retirement on October 9, 2012. Hašek was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 17, 2014. He is also a member of the Czech Ice Hockey Hall of Fame and the IIHF Hall of Fame. His number was retired by the Sabres and HC Pardubice. In 2017, he was named one of the ‘100 Greatest NHL Players’ in history.

Hašek had an unorthodox goaltending style. He was extraordinarily flexible and was jokingly described in a MasterCard commercial as having “a Slinky for a spine”. In order to cover the bottom of the net, where most goals are scored, Hašek dropped down on almost every shot. His “flopping” style was derived from him flailing in the crease, using every part of his body, including his head, to stop the puck. Hašek occasionally dropped his stick and covered the puck with his stick hand, whereas most goaltenders would use the glove hand instead. In response to the speculation he received from his style, Hašek explained: “They say I am unorthodox, I flop around the ice like some kind of fish. I say, who cares as long as I stop the puck?”

Hašek’s unique style attracted fans to games. Because of his flexibility, Hašek could make difficult saves that other goalies could not — an opposing coach once referred to them as “miracle saves”. These types of saves include toe-stops and a maneuver known as the “Hašek roll”. Hašek was also known for his strict regimen of conditioning. During the off-season between May and September 2006, he lost a considerable amount of weight to increase his flexibility. Hašek was one of the last goaltenders to wear a helmet-and-cage combo rather than a contemporary hybrid goalie mask. The last few included his former teammate Chris Osgood, who left the NHL three years after Hašek, Tim Thomas of the Florida Panthers and Rick DiPietro actually borrowed one of Osgood’s helmets for a short time with the New York Islanders while he recovered from a facial injury.

Travis Green

Travis Vernon Green is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former professional ice hockey player. He is the former head coach of the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He also previously coached the American Hockey League’s Utica Comets, Vancouver’s top minor league affiliate. Drafted 23rd overall in 1989, Green played for five different National Hockey League (NHL) teams in his 14-year career.

Doug Weight

Douglas Daniel Weight is an American professional ice hockey coach, executive and former player. He is also the former head coach and assistant general manager for the New York Islanders. During his 19-year National Hockey League career, he played for the New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, Carolina Hurricanes, Anaheim Ducks, St. Louis Blues and the New York Islanders.

Rick DiPietro

Richard W. DiPietro Jr. is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender, also known as the co-host of ESPN 98.7 FM’s “DiPietro and Rothenberg” with Dave Rothenberg and analyst on National Hockey League (NHL) telecasts on ESPN having started the 2021–22 season.

On June 24, 2000, DiPietro became the second goaltender in history selected first overall in an NHL Entry Draft when he was chosen by the New York Islanders, the first being Michel Plasse in 1968, and Marc-André Fleury as the third in 2003. In 2006, the team signed him to a groundbreaking 15-year, $67.5 million contract, but a string of injuries beginning in 2008, which limited him to 50 NHL appearances over the next five seasons, led to a contract buyout on July 2, 2013, with eight years remaining on his contract. DiPietro retired after being released by the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League (AHL) on November 26, 2013, with whom he had signed a tryout contract on October 25. Multiple hockey writers consider him to be one of the biggest draft busts in NHL history. As a result of his contract buyout, the Islanders will continue to pay DiPietro $1.5 million annually until the end of the 2028–29 season.

Logan Couture

Logan Couture is a Canadian professional ice hockey player known as the centre and captain for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Sharks ninth overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, where he established himself as one of the best Stanley Cup playoff performers of his generation.

Scott Bailey

Scott A. Bailey is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 19 games in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins between 1995 and 1997. Bailey was drafted 112th overall by the Bruins in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft and spent most of his career in the American Hockey League with the Providence Bruins.

Kyle Baun

Kyle Baun is a former Canadian professional ice hockey forward who was last under contract to the Vienna Capitals of the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga (EBEL). Baun played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Chicago Blackhawks and is the grandson of former Toronto Maple Leafs player Bobby Baun.

John Blue

John Thomas Blue is an American former ice hockey goaltender. He played 46 games in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres between 1992 and 1996. The majority of his career, which lasted from 1987 to 1995, was spent in various minor leagues. Internationally Blue was part of the American national team at the 1988 Winter Olympics, but he did not play. He also was part of the American team at three World Championships, though only played one game, in the 1990 and 1997 tournaments.

Patrick Boileau

Patrick Boileau is a Canadian former ice hockey defenceman.

Boileau was born in Montreal, Quebec and raised in Blainville, Quebec. Selected by the Washington Capitals in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, he spent years in the Capitals system mainly with their AHL affiliate Portland Pirates until he signed with the Detroit Red Wings in 2002. In 2003, he signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins. In 2004, he played in Switzerland for Lausanne and in 2005 he moved to Germany to play for the Frankfurt Lions of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga and also played for the Hamburg Freezers. In 2007–2008 he played with the Summum Chiefs de Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu in the LNAH.

Joel Bouchard

Joël Bouchard is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He played in the National Hockey League with eight teams for parts of 11 seasons. He is also known as the head coach of the American Hockey League’s San Diego Gulls, the minor league affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks.

Laurent Brossoit

Laurent Brossoit is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender known for playing with the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). Brossoit was selected by the Calgary Flames in the sixth round, 164th overall, of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft and played for the Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets prior to joining the Golden Knights. He was born in Port Alberni, British Columbia, but grew up in Cloverdale, British Columbia.

Matt Carkner

Matthew “Matt” Carkner is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens 58th overall in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft and played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the San Jose Sharks, Ottawa Senators, and New York Islanders.

Kent Carlson

Kent Berger Carlson is a retired American ice hockey defenseman.

Drafted in 1982 by the Montreal Canadiens, Carlson, also played for the St. Louis Blues, and Washington Capitals. In 2005, Carlson participated in the Hockey Enforcers (hockey fighting) event that was shown on pay-per-view from Prince George, B.C., Canada.

Sam Carrick

Sam Carrick is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre known for playing with the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the fifth round, 144th overall, in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.