Hockey Number 14s

Our mission to preserve the history of pro hockey through the sweater uniform numbers players wear is to objectively come up with a list of the greatest players at each number based on their career performance. This look is based on facts and statistics gathered as of 1/1/2022.

Let us start our journey on identifying the greatest number 14s in NHL/WHL history by looking at the players that wore the number that are in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

• Syl Apps
• Doug Bentley
• Ace Bailey
• Jean Ratelle
• Dave Keon
• Fern Flaman
• Woody Dumart
• Glen Sather
• Craig Patrick
• Brendan Shanahan
• Dave Andreychuk

Our next bit of recognition is of the players who have had the number retired by clubs that they played for along with the date of the number being officially retired. For the number 14 they are:

• Dave Keon    Toronto Maple Leafs    October 15, 2016
• Rene Robert    Buffalo Sabres    November 15, 1995

Brendan Shanahan's Legacy in Ice Hockey

Brendan Shanahan's hockey career was a tapestry woven with dazzling goals, bone-crunching hits, and a controversial edge. From his early days as a prolific scorer to his transformative role as an NHL executive, Shanahan left an indelible mark on the game.

Scoring Machine: Drafted third overall in 1987, Shanahan's offensive prowess was undeniable. He amassed over 650 goals in his 21-year career, ranking 13th all-time. His powerful slap shot and relentless work ethic made him a nightmare for goalies.

More Information

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I am not going to lie, hockey is a tough sport to identify who the top players in history are. The modern statistics using Fenway and Corsi percentages are great but they only apply to players since 2008. The challenge is how do you group players from all positions on the ice throughout NHL and WHL history all together to find the best at a certain number? I am not sure there is any one way to do so correctly but here is our stab at it for this number using stats like; goals, assists, points, plus/minus, saves and bonus points for years wearing the sweater number and Hall of Fame. We also had to give Defensive line players a little boost based on their plus/minus stats. It is not perfect but here is our statistical call on the top 15 greatest NHL/WHL players wearing the number 14.

1. Brendan Shanahan
2. Jean Ratelle
3. Dave Andreychuk
4. Dave Keon
5. Brian Propp
6. Theoren Fleury
7. Patrick Marleau
8. Ken Hodge
9. Ken Linseman
10. Ray Whitney
11. Justin Williams
12. Geoff Courtnall
13. Syl Apps
14. Mario Tremblay

Here is a look at our stats, years played with the uniform number and calculations on the top 25 number 9 pro hockey players:

Special thanks to the banner photo above from an unknown photographer with a likelihood of it being Lou/Nat Turofsky. The photo is of Syl Apps vs. five defenders from the Chicago Black Hawks.

Of course we also could not have done the above stat research without the assistance of Hockey-Reference.com and Stathead.com resources.

We would love to get your feedback! Please send what you are thinking to PigskinDispatch@gmail.com