Who wore number 41 in NHL?

Whether we’re talking about jersey numbers or using stats in sports arguments, numbers have and will always have a place in sports in a variety of different ways. Players are recognized by their numbers and they are part of a player’s legacy.

Jocelyn Thibault

Joseph Régis Jocelyn Thibault is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Quebec Nordiques, Colorado Avalanche, Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres. Thibault was born in Montreal, Quebec and grew up in nearby Laval.

He led a group out of Sherbrooke, Quebec to create an expansion team in the QMJHL. The new team, Sherbrooke Phoenix, started playing in the 2012–13 season.

Brent Gilchrist

Brent Lindsay Gilchrist is a former professional hockey player who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1988-2003. In his career, Gilchrist played 792 games, totaling 135 goals and 305 points. He appeared in 10 post-seasons in his NHL career, playing 90 games and totaling 17 goals, 14 assists and 31 points. He was a member of the Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings in 1998.

Jason Allison

Jason Paul Allison is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 552 games in the National Hockey League. His most productive seasons were with the Boston Bruins, where he briefly served as team captain.

Allison was born in North York, Ontario, but grew up in Toronto, Ontario.

Mike Smith

Mike Smith is a Canadian professional ice hockey player known as the goaltender for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Smith has previously played for the Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, Arizona Coyotes, and the Calgary Flames. Smith is the 11th goaltender in NHL history to score a goal, which he did in the 2013–14 season against the Detroit Red Wings. A two-time NHL All-Star (2017, 2018), he was named to the 2014 Canadian Olympic Hockey Team, winning a gold medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Selected by the Dallas Stars in the 2001 NHL draft, Smith played in the American Hockey League (AHL) for the Utah Grizzlies, Houston Aeros, and the Iowa Stars. Smith also played for the Lexington Men O’War of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) in 2002-2003. After playing 5 seasons in the minors, Smith had his NHL debut on October 21, 2006 playing for the Dallas Stars against the Arizona Coyotes putting up a 22-save shutout, making him the first goalie in Dallas Stars history to have a shutout in his first NHL game. Smith was named to the 2006-2007 NHL All-Rookie Team.

Andrew Alberts

Andrew James Alberts is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, Carolina Hurricanes and the Vancouver Canucks. A stay-at-home defenseman, he was known for playing a physical style of game.

After a two-year junior career in the United States Hockey League (USHL), Alberts was selected by the Boston Bruins 179th overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. Following the draft, he joined the college ranks with Boston College of the Hockey East conference. In four seasons with the Eagles, Alberts was named Hockey East’s Best Defensive Defenseman and was a two-time NCAA All-American. Joining the Bruins in 2005, he played three seasons with the club before being traded to the Flyers. He played with the Flyers for one year, then with the Hurricanes in 2009. At the trade deadline the following year, he was traded to the Canucks. Internationally, Alberts has competed for the United States at the 2006 and 2007 World Championships.

Keith Aldridge

Keith Albert Aldridge is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. He played four games in the National Hockey League with the Dallas Stars in the 1999–2000 season.

Chris Armstrong

Christopher Peter Armstrong is an English former footballer who played professionally as a striker from 1989 to 2005.

He notably played in the Premier League for Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur. He grew up in North Wales, where he played in the amateur game for Llay Welfare before making his professional debut for Wrexham in 1989. After one season at Millwall, he made a £1 million transfer to Crystal Palace of the Premier League in 1992. In March 1995, he became the first Premier League player to receive a doping ban, testing positive for cannabis. He joined Tottenham Hotspur that June for £4.5 million and was part of their team that won the League Cup in 1999. After a one-game spell at Bolton Wanderers, he returned to Wrexham for the remainder of his career.

Armstrong was tracked by the international teams of Wales, Nigeria and the Republic of Ireland but rejected all three. He earned one cap for England B in 1994 and was called up to the senior side in March 1999 but did not play.

Tyson Barrie

Tyson Barrie is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman known for playing with the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for the Colorado Avalanche and Toronto Maple Leafs. He was drafted by the Avalanche in the third round, 64th overall, of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

Taylor Beck

Taylor Beck is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward known for playing with HC Dinamo Minsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Previously, Beck had played with the New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders, and Nashville Predators organizations, with the latter having originally drafted him in 2009.

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare

Pierre-Édouard Bellemare is a French professional ice hockey player known as the center for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has also played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche.

Stu Bickel

Stuart Richard Bickel is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild.

Danny Biega

Danny Biega is a Canadian retired ice hockey defenceman. He played 10 games for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Hurricanes in the third round (67th overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. His brother is Alex Biega known for playing with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Chad Billins

Chad Billins is an American professional ice hockey player known as the defenseman under contract with Brynäs IF of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). An undrafted player, Billins played four seasons of college hockey with the Ferris State Bulldogs that culminated in his serving as co-captain of the team that reached the first Frozen Four appearance in school history in 2012. He turned professional in 2012 with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League (AHL) and was a member of their Calder Cup championship team. Billins made his NHL debut in 2013 as a member of the Calgary Flames.

Robert Bortuzzo

Robert Bortuzzo is a Canadian professional ice hockey player known for playing with the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). Bortuzzo was drafted 78th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

Growing up in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Bortuzzo played junior hockey with the Fort William North Stars with whom he won a Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL) championship and Dudley Hewitt Cup. He was eventually drafted by the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and later traded to the Kitchener Rangers. During his time in the OHL, Bortuzzo drew comparisons to Fedor Tyutin and was praised as “a legitimate prospect” by NHL scouts. He spent three seasons with the Rangers before beginning his professional career with the Penguins organization.

Bortuzzo played seven seasons with the Penguins organization, during which he was named to the 2011 AHL All-Star Game. Bortuzzo was eventually traded to the St. Louis Blues on March 2, 2015 in exchange for Ian Cole. During the 2018–19 season, Bortuzzo won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Blues, becoming the first SIJHL alumni to do so.

Matt Davidson

Matthew B. Davidson is a former National Hockey League right wing. He was drafted in the fourth round, 94th overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. He’s also known for playing with Frederikshavn Whitehawks of Denmark’s Oddset Ligaen.

After playing four seasons with the Portland Winter Hawks of the Western Hockey League, Davidson made his professional debut with the Sabres’ AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. He played three seasons with the Americans before the Sabres traded his rights to the Columbus Blue Jackets as part of a deal during the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft. Davidson played in 56 NHL games over three seasons with the Blue Jackets, scoring five goals and adding seven assists.

During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Davidson went to Germany to join the DEG Metro Stars of the Deutsche Eishockey League. While the NHL resumed play in 2005–06, Davidson remained in Germany and played with the Sinupret Ice Tigers, before making the move to Finland for the 2006–07 season.

Matt Davidson has signed a 2-year contract (2007–08 and 2008–09) in Denmark for the Frederikshavn Whitehawks.

Ray Giroux

Raymond “Ray” Giroux is a former Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played four seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils.

Giroux played collegiately at Yale University. During the 1997–98 season, he captained the best team in school history as Yale won their first ECAC regular season title (Yale has since won another regular season title in the 2008-09 season) and advanced to the NCAA tournament after only having been picked to finish in 10th place at the beginning of the season. In addition to being a 1st-team All American, Giroux was named ECAC Player of the Year as well as the league’s best offensive defenceman and was one of ten finalists for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, given annually to the nation’s top collegiate player.

Giroux spent time in many NHL organizations before leaving the US to play overseas. He has played in the American Hockey League (AHL) for the Lowell Lock Monsters, Bridgeport Sound Tigers, Albany River Rats, and Houston Aeros.

Playing for Ak Bars he became Russian champion (2005/06) and IIHF European Champions Cup winner (2007). Giroux made his Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) debut playing with SKA Saint Petersburg during the inaugural 2008–09 KHL season. He participated in 2009 Kontinental Hockey League All-Star Game.

Jaroslav Halak

Jaroslav Halák is a Slovak professional ice hockey goaltender known for playing with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Halák was selected with the 271st overall pick by the Montreal Canadiens in the ninth and final round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

Nicknamed “Jaro”, he first played for the Canadiens during the 2006–07 season, and remained with the team until being traded to the St. Louis Blues after the 2009–10 season. He played for the Blues until the 2013–14 season when he was traded to the Buffalo Sabres. Before playing a game with the Sabres, he was traded to the Washington Capitals, for whom he only played 12 games before his rights were once again traded, this time to the New York Islanders. He signed a four-year contract with the Islanders in May 2014, and signed with the Boston Bruins after that contract expired.

Brent Grieve

Brent J. Grieve is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left wing and coach.

As a youth, Grieve played in the 1982 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Oshawa.

He was selected in the fourth round of the 1989 NHL Entry Draft, 65th overall, by the New York Islanders and played 97 NHL games with the Islanders, Edmonton Oilers, Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings, as well as multiple seasons with various minor league teams.

Following his retirement, Grieve served as an assistant coach with his hometown Oshawa Generals for the 1997–98 season.