In today’s NHL, it’s extremely rare for one player to spend his entire career with one team. Trades, free agency, and the salary cap force players to move around to make the most money, or get the best chance to win a Stanley Cup.
In many cases, NHL legends spend the majority of their career in one city with stops in other places as their career is just beginning, or winding down. Below we take a look at 25 of those players who are legends in one city, but are never remembered for their stints for other teams. Seeing them in other NHL jerseys just doesn’t look right.
Bobby Orr, Chicago Blackhawks (1976-1979, 26 games)
Guy Lafleur, New York Rangers (1988-89, 67 games)
Adam Oates, Philadelphia Flyers (2001-02, 14 games)
Daniel Alfredsson, Detroit Red Wings (2013-14, 68 games)
Brian Leetch, Toronto Maple Leafs (2003-04, 15 games)
Doug Gilmour, Montreal Canadiens (2001-2003, 131 games)
Jari Kurri, Anaheim Mighty Ducks (1996-97, 82 games)
Marcel Dionne, New York Rangers (1987-89, 118 games)
Peter Forsberg, Nashville Predators (2006-07, 17 games)
Paul Coffey, Carolina Hurricanes (1998-2000, 113 games)
Darryl Sittler, Philadelphia Flyers (1981-84, 191 games)
Eric Lindros, Dallas Stars (2006-07, 49 games)
Paul Kariya, Nashville Predators (2005-07, 164 games)
Teemu Selanne, San Jose Sharks (2000-03, 176 games)
Larry Robinson, LA Kings (1989-1992, 182 games)
Mats Sundin, Vancouver Canucks (2008-09, 41 games)
Mark Messier, Vancouver Canucks (1997-00, 207 games)
Sergei Fedorov, Columbus Blue Jackets (2005-08, 185 games)
Dominik Hasek, Ottawa Senators (2oo5-06, 43 games)
Jacques Plante, Toronto Maple Leafs (1970-73, 106 games)
Luc Robitaille, Pittsburgh Penguins (1994-95, 46 games)
Martin Brodeur, St. Louis Blues (2014-15, 7 games)
Cam Neely, Vancouver Canucks (1983-86, 201 games)
Chris Chelios, Atlanta Thrashers (2009-10, 7 games)
Steve Shutt, LA Kings (1984-85, 59 games)
What other long-time NHL stars don’t look right in other NHL jerseys?
Oates, of which I am a big fan of (and own a Flyers Oates’ jersey) also played 67 games as Duck and yet another 60 as an Oiler AFTER the Flyers!
My all-time fave player, Luc Robitaille, who IS listed above, also played two seasons with the NY Rangers AFTER the lockout season with the Penguins. It’s also a neat piece of trivia (I think that I am correct) that only he and Paul Coffey, who is also listed above (and played for the Flyers) are the ONLY two players to have played on teams with the five GREATEST centers of ALL TIME: Gretzky (NOT listed above as a Blue); Maessier (listed above as a Canuck); Yzerman; Lemieux, AND, the one who def deserves to be mentioned on this list…
…Ron Francis and the 12 games that he played as a Leaf (http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/teams/0000382004.html) If you look at that year’s roster, it was FULL of Hall of Famers!
Manon Rhéaume – Lightning. Gretz/Blues totally weird but come to think of it Gretz in anything other than Oilers was weird.
Adam Deadmarsh in a Kings jersey… It may have become not so odd, but injuries kept him from playing alot for LA. Felix Potvin in a Kings jersey was a bit odd too.
Leetch as a Bruin was way harder to swallow than him as a Leaf. Mess as a Canuck should have never happened – damn you Dave Checketts.
Neely really shouldn’t count here. While it’s weird, it was before he became a superstar and synonymous with the Bruins.
Totally forgot Chelios with Atlanta.
RJ Umberger in an NHL jersey
I would have thought Wendel Clark in a Wings or Hawks jersey would have been on here.
How do you miss Modano as a Red Wing on a list like this?
Of course, my personal jersey The Philadelphia Flyers NICK FOTIU jersey.
Agreed, Gretzky in the worst Blues sweater of all time. Also, Bernie Federko in a Red Wings sweater.
Adam Foote in a Blue Jackets Jersey
No CBJ fan should EVER say the “F” word. That guy is a total bum. Worst thing to ever happen to the CBJ including Jeff “Crybaby” Carter
Modano in a Redwings Jersey was tough to swallow…
You beat me to it, friend.
Gordie Howe in a Whalers uniform.
Billy Smith – LA Kings
Clark Gillies – Buffalo Sabres
Gordie Howe – Hartford Whalers
Jean Pronovost – Atlanta Flames
Rene Robert – Toronto Maple Leafs
Rick Martin – LA Kings
Bobby Hull – Hartford Whalers (Hull & Howe played for Hartford the same year, unfortunately for the Whalers about 20 years too late)
How do you not have Gretzsky in a St. Louis uniform? As a lifelong Penguins fan (Mario Lemieux fan too) I’m anti-Gretzsky, but who better to put in this article? Naturally Mario can never be in this article, as he was a one team guy, but hockey whore Wayne has 3 other teams to choose from, besides the most notable Oilers. #MarioMadeHisWingers
you are so anti-gretzky you don’t even know how to spell his name, way to commit.
Shanahan in a Rangers jersey.
Weiredest for me was definitely Pavel Bure with the Rangers.
Iginla -Penguins, Bruins, Avs
Theo -Avs, NYR
Niewendyk -Stars, Leafs, Devils
Modano -Red Wings
He won the Cup in it, but Ray Bourque in an Avalanche sweater will always look off to me.
Borje Salming in a Red Wings jersey
Hextall in a Nordiques jersey…
I just realized he played for the Islanders too…That is an odd look as well.
How ’bout Hextall in a straight jacket? Dude was a psycho. Robbie Brown windmill celebration ruled.
He was awesome wasn’t he??? Hexy was one of my favorites.
Ed Belfour – San Jose Sharks.
Really need a picture of Gretzky in a Blues jersey.. weirdest time ever.
Gretzky in a Blues Jersey is #1
Agreed
Sidney Crosby in a Flyers jersey.
http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2405565/tumblr_mkk6r1KSWm1rp50moo1_r1_1280_medium.png
(Source:
http://www.broadstreethockey.com/2013/4/1/4170808/sidney-crosby-flyers-jersey-photo-ahh )
That burns my eyes!!!
Pat Lafontaine in a Rangers Jersey
Iginla – Pens & Bruins
Theo Fleury – Aves
Modano – Red Wings
Brett Hull – Coyotes
Brodeur – Blues
Dale Hawerchuk in either a Blue or Flyers uniform. Markus Naslund in a Penguins uniform.
Brett Hull in a Phoenix jeresey. Roenick in a San Jose jersey. And the one that hurt me, Dino Ciccarelli in both a Tampa Bay and Florida jersey
Petr Klima as a Pittsburgh Penguin was kinda surreal
Gordie Howe in a Houston Aeros jersey.
Kurri, Kariya, Sellane in Avalanche jerseys
Gordie Howe was a Whaler.
Pavel Bure as a Ranger surely goes in there as well. Love and miss those old Kings uni’s…
Marcel Dion, for sure. Anything over 200 games is NOT a surprise. Cam Neely started in Vancouver, and grew up in the area. That’s how ‘Nucks fans remember him, not as a Bruin. Gretzky as 99 for the Blues, for sure weird, but remember where Jacques Plante finished? EDMONTON.
Jagr in Flyers and the one that killed me was seeing Jari Kurri in a Mighty Ducks.
Gretzky in a Rangers jersey.
If you blinked you missed it but Eddie Belfour in a Sharks jersey.
a young Hasek, an old slow Coffey and a brain fried Probert all wore Blackhawks jerseys
Bure in a rangers?
Cmon gretzky in a blues jersey is number one.
I got one just as good as Bruce Hollingdrake: Phil’s brother Tony in a Canadiens’ uniform
Ray Bourque in a Colorado jersey.
I can add one more. Serge Savard in an old Winnipeg Jets jersey. Played in Winnipeg for a couple of seasons. 1981-82 and 1982-83.
And that Bobby Orr in Chicago is even worse knowing how badly Alan Eagleson screwed Orr in that deal.
Going backwards on this pick – at the start of a career – Phil Esposito in a Blackhawks jersey..
Wow, some of those I even forgot about. That was my reaction too Ross.
Gotta laugh though– Sittler plays for the Flyers just when they’re suiting up in Cooperalls. That makes it all even worse.
Modano in a Detroit jersey.
I’m biased, but was thinking the same. Modano in a Wings jersey will always hurt.
Yea, I agree with this one… not sure why it was missed.