Who wore number 44 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.

Chris Pronger

Christopher Robert Pronger is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who was a senior advisor of hockey operations for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Originally selected second overall by the Hartford Whalers in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, Pronger has played for Hartford, the St. Louis Blues, Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks before being traded to the Philadelphia Flyers before the 2009–10 season. He was captain of the Blues, Ducks and Flyers. He has appeared in the Stanley Cup finals with three different teams (Edmonton, Anaheim and Philadelphia), winning the Cup with the Ducks in 2007. Pronger won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player for the 1999–2000 season, becoming the first defenceman to win the award since Bobby Orr in 1971–72. A mainstay on Team Canada, Pronger won Olympic gold medals at the 2002 and 2010 Winter Olympics and is a member of the Triple Gold Club. In 2017, he was named one of the “100 Greatest NHL Players” in history.

He has not played since November 2011 due to post-concussion syndrome related to three separate hits suffered during his career; he also suffers from vision impairment due to being hit in the eye(s) by the blade of another player’s stick. In October 2014, Pronger signed a contract with the NHL to assist its Player Safety Division, and he assists the NHL’s Player Safety Division involving St. Louis Blues.

Despite his skill as a player, Pronger was considered one of the NHL’s “dirtier” players and was suspended eight times during his NHL career.

The Blues announced they would retire Pronger’s No. 44 during the 2021–22 season.

Stephane Richer

Stéphane Joseph Jean-Jacques Richer is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger.

Richer was known to have one of the hardest shots in the NHL during his playing days, coupled with an extremely quick release. Unlike many other players, Richer only had to wind up his stick to about waist height to achieve full power on his shot. Recognition of his hard shot was noticed even more when Fleer trading cards included Richer in their “Slapshot Artists” limited set for the 1994–95 season. During the 1994 New Jersey Devils team-only skills competition prior to the All-Star Game, Richer recorded multiple slapshots that exceeded the 100 mph mark.

A fast skater with a big body (approx. 6’3″, 225 lbs.), Richer used skill and his shot to beat opponents as opposed to a hard-hitting power forward style which was prototypical of an NHL player of his proportions.

Scouting reports frequently criticized Richer for not squeezing more production out of his talent, given his physical gifts (size, skill, skating ability). He was sometimes described as “coasting” during the regular season and playing hard only when the playoffs began, although his statistics do not support this perception (his career regular-season points per game of 0.78 is higher than his 0.73 average in the playoffs).

Roman Hamrlik

Roman Hamrlík is a Czech former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was originally selected first overall in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning, the first-ever selection by the expansion franchise, going on to begin his career with the team before later playing for the Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders, Calgary Flames, Montreal Canadiens, Washington Capitals and New York Rangers. In total, he played 1,395 games during his NHL career and participated in three NHL All-Star Games, in 1996, 1999 and 2003.

Hamrlík also represented the Czech Republic on numerous occasions at the international level, including at the 1998 Winter Olympics, where he was part of the gold medal-winning Czech team. He also played in the 2002 Winter Olympics, as well as two Ice Hockey World Championships, in 1994 and 2004, and two World Cup of Hockey tournaments, in 1996 and 2004 World Cup of Hockey.

Dave Babych

David Michael Babych is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He is also known as an assistant director of player personnel with the Vancouver Canucks. He played in two NHL All-Star Games and played for the Winnipeg Jets, Hartford Whalers, Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings. He is the younger brother of former NHL player Wayne Babych. He was the first NHL player to wear the number 44 on a permanent basis.

Rob Niedermayer

Robert Wade Niedermayer Jr. is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 17 National Hockey League (NHL) seasons for the Florida Panthers, Calgary Flames, Anaheim Ducks, New Jersey Devils, and Buffalo Sabres.

He is the younger brother of former NHL defenceman Scott Niedermayer (the two were teammates for four seasons) and cousin of defenceman Jason Strudwick. Born in Cassiar, British Columbia, he and his brother Scott grew up in Cranbrook.

Kimmo Timonen

Kimmo Samuel Timonen is a Finnish former professional ice hockey defenseman who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Nashville Predators, Philadelphia Flyers, and Chicago Blackhawks. Timonen had played in over 1,100 NHL games before retiring. During his career, Timonen had also featured in three IIHF World Junior Championships, seven IIHF World Championships, two World Cups and five Olympic tournaments. He won the Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015.

He was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2020.

Zach Bogosian

Zachary M. Bogosian is an American professional ice hockey player known as the defenceman with the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for the Atlanta Thrashers, Winnipeg Jets, Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs. Bogosian won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Lightning in 2020.

Nicknamed “Bogo”, Bogosian was regarded as a complete, physical defenseman who could contribute on both offense and defense; he was rated as one of the top players heading into the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, where the Atlanta Thrashers selected him third overall. Bogosian first played in an international tournament when he joined the American national team at the 2009 IIHF World Championship.

Gino Cavallini

Gino J. Cavallini is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward. Gino is the brother of the NHL hockey player, Paul Cavallini.

Cavallini played one year for the St. Michael’s Buzzers, a Junior hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association (now part of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League). Following his short stint with the Buzzers, Cavallini was offered a scholarship to play college hockey for the Bowling Green State University Falcons. He remained with the Falcons for two years (1982–1984). He is noted for scoring the game-winning goal in the 1984 NCAA Championship game, 7:11 into the fourth overtime. At 97 minutes and 11 seconds, it stands today as one of the longest games in Division I hockey history.

Following his two seasons at Bowling Green, the Calgary Flames signed Cavallini as a free agent during the 1984–85 season. He would go on to score six goals in 27 games that season.

Cavallini played parts of two seasons with the Flames, alternating between the NHL and minor AHL team, the Moncton Golden Flames. Following his second professional season, he was traded to the St. Louis Blues as part of a multi-player deal (Cavallini, Ed Beers and Charlie Bourgeois for Joey Mullen, Terry Johnson and Rik Wilson). While with the Blues, Cavallini served dutifully as the Alternate Captain to Brian Sutter. As part of the Ron Caron-managed franchise from 1986–1992, Cavallini helped provide leadership, enthusiasm and disciplined strength on the ice. During those seasons, the Blues re-established themselves as a competitive force in the Norris Division making the playoffs each year. During his playing seasons with the Blues, Gino’s brother, defenseman Paul Cavallini also joined the squad.

Referred to locally as “The Tank”, Cavallini’s grit on the ice was evident throughout his NHL seasons with Calgary (54 games), St. Louis (454 games) and later with the Quebec Nordiques (85 games). In total he played 593 regular season games, scoring 114 goals and 159 assists for 273 points and collecting 507 penalty minutes. He also played in 74 playoff games, scoring 14 goals and 19 assists for 33 points and collecting 66 penalty minutes. From 1986–1990, Cavallini had his best NHL seasons, recording more than 30 points per season and scoring 20 goals in the 1988–89 season.

Cavallini left the NHL after the 1993 season, spending 3 seasons with the Milwaukee Admirals of the International Hockey League. His commitment to the game helped solidify Cavallini as a leader for the Admirals with impressive stats scoring 139 goals and 248 points in 3 seasons. He then completed his career in Europe, playing primarily in Germany with EV Landshut and Austria with EC Villacher before retiring in the 2000–01 season.

Glen Cochrane

Glen MacLeod Cochrane is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played ten seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Philadelphia Flyers, Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Black Hawks and Edmonton Oilers. He was best known for his time with the Flyers, providing toughness and carrying on the tough Flyer tradition embodied by the likes of Dave Schultz and Dave Brown. Cochrane was born in Cranbrook, British Columbia, but grew up in Kamloops, British Columbia.

Cochrane is also known as a scout of the Anaheim Ducks.

Kevin Connauton

Kevin Connauton is a Canadian professional ice hockey player known as the defenceman for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted 83rd overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Connauton has also played for the Dallas Stars, Columbus Blue Jackets, Arizona Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche and Florida Panthers.

Connauton played Junior A with the Spruce Grove Saints of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) before joining the Western Michigan Broncos of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) in 2008–09. He joined the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League (WHL) for the 2009–10 season. Connauton set franchise records for most goals and points by a defenceman, while being named a WHL West First Team All-Star.

John Craighead

John Craighead is a retired professional ice hockey right winger. He played five games for the Toronto Maple Leafs during 1996–97 season. Some sources claim that he was born in Richmond, Virginia. He spent most of his youth growing up in Vancouver, British Columbia. He has played ice hockey for the Nottingham Panthers and the IHL’s Detroit Vipers.

Aaron Downey

Aaron Douglas Downey is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. Downey played 13 seasons of professional ice hockey and played 243 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues, Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars and Detroit Red Wings. He was not drafted by either an NHL team or a major junior team. Downey was mostly known for his role as an enforcer. Downey also played in the minor leagues for the Manitoba Moose, Portland Pirates, Providence Bruins, Norfolk Admirals, Hampton Roads Admirals and the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Ron Duguay

Ronald Duguay is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and coach who played 12 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1977 through 1989, and served four seasons as a minor league coach. He appeared as an in-studio analyst during MSG Network’s coverage of the New York Rangers from 2007 to 2018. He was born in the Sudbury region of northern Ontario, and as a child resided in Val Caron, Ontario. Duguay played junior hockey for the hometown Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League.