Hockey Number 22s

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 22s in NHL/WHL history by looking at the players that wore the number that are in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

• Max Bentley
• Glenn Hall
• Pierre Pilote
• Brad Park
• Mike Bossy
• Steve Shutt
• Mike Gartner
• Al MacInnis
• Brett Hull
• Brian Leetch
• Dino Ciccarelli
• Willie O'Ree

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 22 there are these:

• Mike Bossy    New York Islanders    March 3, 1992
• Willie O'Ree[Notes 3]    Boston Bruins    January 18, 2022
• Daniel Sedin    Vancouver Canucks    February 12, 2020

A Hockey Scoring Machine Carved in Ice ‣ Mike Bossy

Michael Dean Bossy, born in 1957, didn't just play hockey, he redefined it with his sniper-like precision and unmatched goal-scoring prowess. This Canadian legend spent his entire 10-year NHL career with the New York Islanders, etching his name not only in franchise history but in the annals of the sport itself

His journey began in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, where his raw talent was unmistakable. He shattered scoring records, earning the Rookie of the Year title and becoming a coveted prospect. Drafted 15th overall in 1977 by the Islanders, some doubted his ability to translate his junior dominance to the big leagues. But Bossy silenced the doubters quickly.

He exploded onto the NHL scene in the 1977-78 season, shattering the rookie goal-scoring record with 53 goals, earning the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year. This was just the beginning. He went on to score 9 consecutive 50-goal seasons, a feat equaled only by Wayne Gretzky and Alexander Ovechkin.

Bossy wasn't a solo act. He formed a lethal partnership with center Bryan Trottier, and together they fueled the Islanders' dominance in the early 1980s. The duo, along with Clark Gillies and Denis Potvin, formed the legendary "Four Lines" core that led the Islanders to four consecutive Stanley Cup championships (1981-1984). In the playoffs, Bossy's clutch performances were unmatched, earning him the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 1982.

While his goalscoring was legendary, Bossy was more than just a sniper. He had a complete offensive skillset, with a deceptive slap shot, uncanny hand-eye coordination, and a knack for finding open ice. He was a fierce competitor, a team player, and a respected leader.

Unfortunately, a back injury cut short his brilliant career in 1987.

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 22.

1. Mike Bossy
2. Al MacInnis
3. Mike Gartner
4. Brett Hull
5. Brad Park
6. Steve Shutt
7. Dino Ciccarelli
8. Brian Leetch
9. Daniel Sedin
10. Patrik Elias
11. Rick Tocchet
12. Peter McNab
13. Pierre Pilote
14. Stephane Richer
15. Murray Craven

Here is a look at our stats, years played with the uniform number and calculations on the top 25 jersey number 22 pro hockey players:

Special thanks to the banner photo above from an unknown photographer and contributor to the public domain of Wikimedia Commons. The Pic is a cropped version of Used Icehockeylayout.jpg as template for the basic layout. Used mom's guide to icehockey, the article en:Hockey rink (this especially for international/North American differences) and HockeyRink for distances and names. Made by Ysangkok.

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