Apparently Friday was a night for nostalgia, and players having fewer numbers to choose from. The New York Rangers retired number 30 in honor of Henrik Lundqvist, while the Dallas Stars retired jersey number 56 remembering the career of Sergei Zubov.
Rangers retire Henrik Lundqvist’s number 30
After Henrik Lundqvist walked out (with a shot that was almost reminiscent of a pro wrestling entrance) to loud chants of “Hen-rik!,” the Rangers retired his jersey number 30 to the rafters.
In a nice touch, Lundqvist came out for the ceremonial puck drop not just with family, but also with Mika Zibanejad and former Ranger Mats Zuccarello taking the “faceoff.” (Rangers fans also serenaded Zuccarello with his own nostalgic chant.)
[Soak in all the “stunning numbers” from Lundqvist’s remarkable career with the Rangers]
You can watch the Lundqvist jersey number 30 retirement ceremony in the video above this post’s headline.
If you’re like me, you maybe haven’t totally processed that Lundqvist won’t wear that number 30 again. (But, of course, it’s best that Lundqvist makes his health the top priority.)
Iconic. Forever. #30Forever pic.twitter.com/XUKAC6xfcQ
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) January 29, 2022
Dallas Stars retire Sergei Zubov’s jersey number 56
Check out the nice ceremony for Sergei Zubov, as the Stars retired his jersey number 56:
After winning a Stanley Cup in 1994 with the Rangers and making a brief stop with the Penguins, Sergei Zubov truly etched his Hall of Fame career with the Stars. Zubov suited up as number 56 with the Stars from the 1996-97 through the 2008-09 seasons. That included winning a Stanley Cup with the Stars in 1998-99.
Bally Sports Southwest noted the plethora of Dallas Stars records Sergei Zubov owns for defensemen:
- Most games played (839)
- Goals: 111
- Assists: 438
- Points: 549
- PPG: 60
- Shots on goal: 1,694
(One can only imagine how much Zubov would have produced if he didn’t spend his prime years in the “Dead Puck Era.”)
The man of the night. #Forever56 pic.twitter.com/UMQ210CkwJ
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) January 28, 2022
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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.