Who wore number 88 in NHL?

Athletes in every team sport have a number on their jersey to identify them. In the NHL, players are given numbers between 1 and 98. Sometimes, players get to choose their own number and other times, they’re just assigned a number by the team.

Patrick Kane

Patrick Timothy Kane II is an American professional ice hockey player known as the right winger and alternate captain for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Blackhawks selected him with the first overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. Kane also represented the United States at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics.

Kane has won Stanley Cups as a member of the Blackhawks, in 2010, 2013 and 2015, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs in 2013. Kane won the Hart Memorial Trophy as Most Valuable Player and Art Ross Trophy as scoring champion in the 2015–16 NHL season. Kane, who led the NHL with 106 points (46 goals, 60 assists), is the first American-born player to win the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s scoring leader. He was also the first American-born player to win the Hart Trophy. In 2017, he was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players. Patrick Kane became one of the youngest U.S. players to reach 1,000 career regular-season points.

Eric Lindros

Eric Bryan Lindros is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Lindros was born in London, Ontario, but grew up in Toronto. He played junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for the Oshawa Generals prior to being chosen first overall in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft by the Quebec Nordiques. He refused to play for the Nordiques and was eventually traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in June 1992 in exchange for a package of players and draft picks including Peter Forsberg. During his OHL career, Lindros led the Generals to a Memorial Cup victory in 1990. Prior to being drafted in 1991, Lindros captured the Red Tilson Trophy as the Most Outstanding Player in the OHL, and also was named the CHL Player of the Year.

Lindros began his National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Flyers during the 1992–93 season. He was an exemplary power forward, and averaged more than a point per game. His hard-nosed style caused him to miss significant time with injuries, and he had many problems with concussions. Lindros captured the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league MVP and Lester B. Pearson Award as the most outstanding player after the lockout-shortened 1994–95 season. In August 2001, Lindros joined the New York Rangers via a trade. He then signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the 2005–06 season before finishing his career in 2006–07 with the Dallas Stars.

Internationally, Lindros represented Canada at the World Junior Championships three times (1990, 1991 and 1992), winning gold medals in 1990 and 1991. He is one of Canada’s all-time points leaders at the World Junior Championships with 31 points, five points ahead of Jordan Eberle and Brayden Schenn. Lindros has also represented Canada’s senior team at the World Hockey Championships, leading the squad in scoring at the 1993 tournament. In Olympic play, Lindros represented Canada three times (1992, 1998 and 2002), winning a silver medal in 1992 and gold in 2002. On October 17, Lindros was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame where he credited the quality facilities in London, Ontario, his coaches, and his parents for his success. In 2016 Lindros was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2017 he was named one of the ‘100 Greatest NHL Players’ in history. Lindros’ jersey, #88, was retired by the Flyers in 2018.

Andrei Vasilevskiy

Andrei Andreyevich Vasilevskiy is a Russian professional ice hockey player known as the goaltender for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted in the first round, 19th overall, by the Lightning at the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Nicknamed the “Big Cat” and “Vasy”, he won the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goaltender in the 2018–19 season, and has led the league in wins for four consecutive seasons (2017–18 to 2020–21). He also backstopped the Lightning to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the 2021 playoffs while also being one of the leaders in wins in single postseason.

Brent Burns

Brent Burns is a Canadian professional ice hockey player known as the defenceman and alternate captain for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Drafted as a right wing (20th overall) at the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Minnesota Wild, he was converted into a defenceman upon turning professional. Burns is characterized as a dynamic offensive player, and though he mostly plays defence, he has been utilized as a forward on several occasions during his career.

During the shortened 2012–13 season, and continuing through the 2013–14 season, the Sharks utilized Burns as a forward. Starting with the 2014–15 season, he was returned to defence. At the end of the 2015–16 season, Burns finished third in voting for the James Norris Memorial Trophy (awarded to the NHL’s best defenceman); one year later, at the end of the 2016–17 season, Burns won the award for the first time in his career.

Kevin Bahl

Kevin Bahl is a Canadian professional ice hockey player known as the defenceman for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Bahl was drafted by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2nd round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft while playing major junior hockey with the Ottawa 67’s of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He was signed by the Coyotes to a three-year, entry-level contract.

During his final season of junior hockey in the 2019–20 season, Bahl was included by the Coyotes in a trade along with Nick Merkley, Nate Schnarr, a conditional first-round pick in 2020, and a conditional third-round pick in 2021 to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Taylor Hall and Blake Speers.

In the following 2020–21 season, Bahl made his NHL debut for the Devils.

Chris Higgins

Christopher Robert Higgins is an American former professional ice hockey winger, also known as Skills and Development coach for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL). While playing college hockey, he was selected 14th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. He finished a two-year career with the Yale Bulldogs, earning ECAC Hockey Player of the Year honors as a sophomore, before turning professional for the 2003–04 season.

After two seasons with the Canadiens’ minor league affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League (AHL), he joined the NHL in 2005–06. He recorded three consecutive 20-goal seasons to begin his NHL career before being traded to the New York Rangers. After brief stints with the Rangers, Calgary Flames and Florida Panthers, he joined the Vancouver Canucks. Internationally, Higgins has competed for the United States in two World Junior Championships (2002 and 2003) and one World Championship (2009).

Listed at 6 feet (1.83 meters) tall and 203 pounds (92 kilograms), Higgins plays mostly in the style of a power forward. He is known as a two-way player with good skating, capable of contributing offensively while remaining defensively responsible. He has alternated between playing the wing and center positions. Early in his career, he was compared to Dallas Stars forward Brenden Morrow.

Garry Howatt

Garry Robert Charles Howatt is a Canadian former ice hockey forward. He played in the National Hockey League with the New York Islanders, Hartford Whalers, and New Jersey Devils between 1972 and 1984. With the Islanders Howatt won the Stanley Cup in 1980 and 1981. Howatt was known for his toughness and, due to his small size, had the nickname “Toy Tiger.”

Howatt started his National Hockey League career with the New York Islanders in 1972.

Howatt enjoyed his greatest popularity with the Islanders, remaining on the team from their first season, through their formative years of steady improvement, right through to their first two Stanley Cup championships, in 1980 and 1981. Howatt, known along with teammate Bobby Nystrom as a member of the “Dynamic Duo”, was a fan favourite admired for his scrappy, energetic style of play. For this reason, Islander fans established a Howatt-Nystrom booster club, called the “Dynamic Duo Fan Club”, which was active throughout the 1970s.

When he left the Islanders in 1981, Howatt held the Islanders’ career penalty-minutes record (1,466) and career playoffs penalty-minutes record (279). With the Hartford Whalers, Howatt scored a career-high 50 points and was offered a long-term contract and the team’s captaincy. However, in his words, “bad advice from some former teammates” led him to request a trade to the New Jersey Devils, and was traded with Rick Meagher for Merlin Malinowski and the rights to Scott Fusco. After squabbling with Devils’ management, he played only sporadically before ending his career with the Maine Mariners of the American Hockey League (AHL), where he helped them win a Calder Cup as their captain.

On January 15, 1983 Howatt, as a member of the Devils, and Mickey Volcan, as a member of the Whalers, became the only active player to officiate an NHL game, when a snowstorm prevented a referee, Ron Fournier, and a linesman, Ron Asselstine, from reaching the Hartford Civic Center for a game between the two teams. He retired after the 1983–84 NHL season.

Andrew Mangiapane

Andrew Mangiapane is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger known for playing with the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previous played with the Barrie Colts of Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and was selected by the Flames in the sixth round, 166th overall, of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

On March 23, 2016, Mangiapane was signed to an entry-level contract by the Calgary Flames, the organization which drafted him in the sixth round, 166th overall, in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. Prior to the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, Mangiapane was listed as the 85th ranked North American skater by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau. Scouts described Mangiapane as an undersized, two-way forward with strong skating, speed, agility and puck protection.

After attending the Flames’ training camp ahead of the 2017–18 season, Mangipane was reassigned to the club’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Stockton Heat, to begin the 2017–18 season. Recalled by the Flames, he made his NHL debut on January 31, 2017, in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks. He was reassigned to the Heat after playing seven games with Calgary.

Mangiapane began the 2018–19 season in the AHL for Stockton. He was then called up by Calgary after recording 14 points in 13 games with the Heat. Although he was reassigned to the AHL, he was recalled a few days later after the Flames’ Michael Frolík was placed on injured reserve. On January 13, 2019, Mangiapane earned his first NHL point in a 7–1 win over the Arizona Coyotes, assisting on captain Mark Giordano’s first-period goal. Mangiapane re-signed with the Calgary Flames with a two-year $4.850 million contract just four days before a scheduled arbitration hearing.