Question about typical goalie jersey #s, etc.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

I've been curious for the longest time on this...

I understand goalies choosing #1 when availabile/not retired of course, but how did it become generally standard for goalies to select their jersey numbers in the 30s? How come #29 is a standard goalie number every now and then as well?

Any info/insight is appreciated.

[eva unit zero 271]

In some sports, notably football, a player's number choices are limited by his position.

Traditionally in hockey, the goaltender would wear #1, defensemen would wear any number under #10, and forwards would pick from the remainder. Typically, no player on a roster would have a number above #25. There have, of course, always been exceptions to this. When teams began to carry a backup goaltender, the second goalie would typically wear the number 30 as it was not a number that was going to be worn.

More recently, goaltenders have worn #30 because there have been some higher profile goaltenders to wear the number, because #1 was unavailable, or because they were assigned a number. Numbers close to 30 (29,31,32,33,34,35, etc) have been used due in many cases to numbers being unavailable at one point or another during a player's career and that player sticking with the number.

[digitaljohn88 4]

A post from a goalie forum I read explains it fairly well...

...the reason goalies are traditionally #1 is because back "in the day" hockey players were numbered by position, according to the order in which they took the ice. If you watch, they still take the ice in the same order--goaltenders, then defense, then forwards. Obviously, this was because they were going from the least popular to the most popular players (goalies didn't get the same respect back then that they do today....) Back then, remember, there was only one goalie (no backup) which is why 2 is a traditionally defensive number. When they added backup goalies, they went all the way to the back of the list, which is how 30 numbers became associated with goalies--after all the players (on the roster, the IR, the reserve) were numbered, the backup goalie ended up wearing 30 something.

Basically, goalies were automatically given #1 back when there was only one goalie on a team. When teams expanded to two goalies, the second goalie was given a number at the end, usually in the 30's. Eventually, more goalies spread to the 30's because the #1's were taken, retired, and 30's just became associated with them.

edit: eva beat me to it. Same idea.

Edited July 1, 2008 by digitaljohn88

[octopusonice 0]

Very fascinating post. It's as interesting as the time I found out that Babe Ruth (#3) and Lou Gehrig (#4) wore their uniform numbers because of their batting order for the NY Yankees.

[Xitium 272]

My goalie number was 74, because im cool like that.

[octopusonice 0]

In some sports, notably football, a player's number choices are limited by his position...

This is why retired jersey numbers are rare in pro football. You have a 53 man roster combined with the positional restrictions. I never understood why it was so restrictive in the NFL. All you really need it for is to identify o-linemen (50-79) so you can flag them going downfield on pass plays, which is the only restriciton in HS and college do as far as I can tell.