Quote:
Originally Posted by getbak
Looking at a few other players who died during their careers...
Bill Barilko had played 5 seasons for the Leafs (with 4 Stanley Cups) when he disappeared after an off-season plane crash in 1951. His #5 was removed from circulation after his disappearance and officially retired in 1992.
Bill Masterton had only played 38 NHL games when he died after an in-game injury in 1968. His number was removed from circulation by Minnesota and #19 was officially retired by the Stars in 1987.
Tim Horton only played parts of two seasons in Buffalo, when he was in his 40s. No one ever wore #2 for the Sabres after Horton died in 1974, and it was eventually retired in 1996. The Leafs honoured Horton's #7 in 1995, but it wasn't removed from circulation (Lanny was wearing #7 for the Leafs at the time of Horton's death) until it was officially retired in 2016.
Bob Gassoff played parts of 4 seasons with the Blues prior to his death in a motorcycle accident in the summer of 1977. His number was retired by the Blues.
No one has worn #31 for the Flyers since Pelle Lindberg died in 1985, but it has not been officially retired. |
Michel Briere
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_Bri%C3%A8re
While Brière was hospitalized, the Penguins started pre-season conditioning near
Brantford. Then-trainer Ken Carson added Brière's name to the back of a jersey, which, along with Brière's equipment bag, traveled with the team for their entire
1970–71 season.
Brière's number 21 was not retired immediately by the team, but no one ever wore it again.[9] A framed jersey hung with his photo in the Igloo Club, located inside the Pittsburgh Civic Arena, as the only visible sign that the number was retired. According to Carson, "No one ever asked to wear that number (21). If they had, I would have told them Mike's story." Brière's number was officially retired on January 5, 2001, nine days after Penguins' co-owner Mario Lemieux came out of retirement to once again wear his number 66. Through 2024, Brière was one of three players in Penguins history whose numbers were retired.[10]