Nhl retired numbers. Some teams have also retired number 12 in honor of their fans or the twelfth man. The nhl currently has 131 retired numbers 7 former retirements and 23 honoured numbers. The first number officially retired by a team in a professional sport was that of ice hockey player ace bailey whose number 6 was retired by the toronto maple leafs in 1934.
Most of the numbers retired by the hartford whalers and quebec nordiques were put back in circulation when those franchises relocated and became the carolina hurricanes and colorado avalanche respectively although the hurricanes keep gordie howe s number 9 unofficially retired. Now that henrik and daniel sedin have had their numbers retired edler might be the next logical choice in the future. Every nhl teams likely next retired number there are fewer honors greater for professional sports players than a team retiring their numbers guaranteeing that no one else will ever wear it again.