Why no jersey number zero?

[Iceman90]

I was reading the NHL Rule Book tonight, and noticed the following rule:

Numbers - Each player listed in the line-up of each team shall wear
an individual identifying number at least ten inches (10'') high on the
back of his sweater. Sweater numbers such as 00, ½ (fractions), .05
(decimals), 101 (three digit) are not permitted. In addition, each player
shall wear his surname in full, in block letters three inches (3'') high,
across the back of his sweater at shoulder height.

I am not sure what such as means, but to me, as one that is not explicitly mentioned, and a valid single digit number, 0 should be valid for jerseys. Also says nothing about negative numbers.

Does anyone know when (and why) the NHL made 00 and 0 disallowed?

[DownhillGoat]

Serious answer; who in their right mind would want to be "0"?

[SebC]

Originally Posted by kunkstyle

Serious answer; who in their right mind would want to be "0"?

Being number two is better than being number three, being number one is better than being number two, so being number zero must be better than being number one!

[18flames]

I remember something about 0 not registering on their systems or something stupid like that, Martin Biron has worn 00 before though.

[BACKCHECK!!!]

Because it would be stupid.

[stignasty]

In baseball, Al Oliver wore "0". That makes sense.

[KTrain]

Wearing 69 should be banned too. Only the douchiest of dbags get 69 on jerseys.

[EVERLAST]

just remember 1 IS the loneliest number

[gargamel]

Originally Posted by Iceman90

I was reading the NHL Rule Book tonight...

That sounds like the least exciting Saturday night of all time.

[Sample00]

Goalies should wear 0 or 00. It might be a bit arrogant but they could pull it off

[BurningSteel]

I think 0 is forbidden as it is too easy to go from hero to zero.

[getbak]

From Biron's Wikipedia page:

Biron, along with Rob Ray and Dominik Hašek, was one of the three Sabres against whom, in three consecutive years, the NHL made a specific rule. After NHL statisticians discovered a bug in their new stat-tracking software, the "Biron rule" restricted jersey numbers to whole numbers between 1 and 99 (later limited to numbers between 1 and 98 after the league-wide retirement of number 99 for Wayne Gretzky). Biron was the only NHL player affected as only he wore "00" at the time. (Goaltender John Davidson also wore 00 during his playing career, without rebuke, at various points in his playing career between 1973 and 1983.)

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Former Flame Neil Sheehy also wore 0 when he played with Hartford.

[Sakari]

Yeah, then the new captain of the Flames could wear -12.

[pylon]

Originally Posted by KTrain

Wearing 69 should be banned too. Only the douchiest of dbags get 69 on jerseys.

I disagree.It makes it easy in beer league to identify the player on the ice driving the Dodge Ram in the parking lot with Tapout decal covering the entire back window, with truck Nutz, and white Oakley sunglasses on the dashboard.

If it is still sitting there after the game, you can key it, if he is the typical number 69 beer league player.

[trublmaker]

Originally Posted by pylon

I disagree.It makes it easy in beer league to identify the player on the ice driving the Dodge Ram in the parking lot with Tapout decal covering the entire back window, with truck Nutz, and white Oakley sunglasses on the dashboard.

If it is still sitting there after the game, you can key it, if he is the typical number 69 beer league player.

wow you nailed that description

[hwy19man]

http://www.sihrhockey.org/public_nhl....cfm?num=0&t=0

[Dion]

I remeber the Blues had a goaltender by the name of Rick Heinz. At one time he wore sweather number 57 - Heinz 57

[CSharp]

I wonder if the statisticians were dividing the players numbers and found that dividing by zero(s) overloaded their COBOL mainframes and they blew up?

[saskflames69]

Originally Posted by KTrain

Wearing 69 should be banned too. Only the douchiest of dbags get 69 on jerseys.

Hey, sometimes we're just handed the number 69 and we have to live with it. Some of us didn't ask for it, but it happens and so be it.