Yeah retiring numbers should be really, really exclusive. The ring of honor takes care of the honorable mentions. IMO it should be Mario, Briere I suppose but that wasn't in my lifetime, Jagr, and I fully expect Crosby and most likely Malkin to be there some day. Fleury is a good candidate as well if things keep going.
One of the lamest things ever is teams like Carolina trying to manufacture a storied history by retiring Glen Wesley's jersey, or Vancouver retiring Trevor Linden. Its become something franchises do for show.
I'm glad we've reserved our retirements for the players that we have.
Echoing the sentiments of many others in here, it IS exclusive and that is the way it should be. That's Mario you've got up there, you better be pretty damn good to be worthy of being hung up with a name like that.
Echoing the sentiments of many others in here, it IS exclusive and that is the way it should be. That's Mario you've got up there, you better be pretty damn good to be worthy of being hung up with a name like that.
This.
Which is why Jagr should never be up there IMO. Sid and Geno rightfully and hopefully will be up there someday. But Jagr??? Forget it. He's repeatedly dig his own grave with his antics and ego.
Like I've said before. There's no denying Jagr is/was an alltime great in terms of actual skill. However, due to his antics/ego/attitude I think that after retiring he'll just be remembered by the majority as a great player with no primary ties/identity with an specific team. I mean it's pretty sad when both the Pens and the Caps (as much as we hate each other) have told Jagr to hit the bricks and to go **** himself. Aren't the Rags the only team who still like him? I am not counting Philly because he's only been there not even a full year and the majority of Flyers fans I'm sure only like him because he went there instead of back here.
One of the lamest things ever is teams like Carolina trying to manufacture a storied history by retiring Glen Wesley's jersey, or Vancouver retiring Trevor Linden. Its become something franchises do for show.
I'm glad we've reserved our retirements for the players that we have.
Hey, Linden was a huge part of that franchise for a long time. Retiring his jersey was absolutely the right thing to do.
It's early, but Sid and Malkin's jerseys should likely hang in the CEC when they're done.
Yeah, I didn't have a problem with Vancouver retiring Linden's number.
I still think Jagr should and will have his number retired here one day. I don't think any player wants to come here and wear the 68 Pens jersey. It's basically unofficially retired because of that anyway.
I know Mario and Jags have their issues, but time usually heals all wounds. He helped us win two Cups. He won 4 consecutive scoring titles, 5 overall, and all of them with this team. He may be a doosh, but he's still a legendary hockey player that played out his prime in our city. That should be honored eventually.
Hey, Linden was a huge part of that franchise for a long time. Retiring his jersey was absolutely the right thing to do.
It's early, but Sid and Malkin's jerseys should likely hang in the CEC when they're done.
So what? Rick Kehoe was a huge part of the Penguins, arguable the most important player the franchise had until Lemieux, but we're not going to retire his jersey. And he was a Penguin for some 30 consecutive years. Okay players getting jersey retirements? Man, **** that. Every franchise has a Trevor Linden, indeed many have several.
One of the lamest things ever is teams like Carolina trying to manufacture a storied history by retiring Glen Wesley's jersey, or Vancouver retiring Trevor Linden. Its become something franchises do for show.
I'm glad we've reserved our retirements for the players that we have.
Agreed.
You go that route, you might as well start hanging things like Regular Season Eastern Conference Champions banners from the rafters.
So what? Rick Kehoe was a huge part of the Penguins, arguable the most important player the franchise had until Lemieux, but we're not going to retire his jersey. And he was a Penguin for some 30 consecutive years. Okay players getting jersey retirements? Man, **** that. Every franchise has a Trevor Linden, indeed many have several.
I agree, I think only players who have played with the team for the career and had plenty of All Star years should have their number retired.
As for Jagr, I don't know if his number will be officially retired by the Penguins, but also I don't think that #68 will be worn by any other Penguins player in the future.
I actually would like for Jagr's number to be retired. I know a lot of people think little of him, but he was a big part of the Pens for a good period of time. I think we should wait probably 10 years or so (until he is done playing for a lengthy time and all of his choices has time to settle down), but think it should be up there.
Personally, I would like to visit the Pens some day and see 66, 68, 71, and 87 hanging up there.
As for Jagr, I don't know if his number will be officially retired by the Penguins, but also I don't think that #68 will be worn by any other Penguins player in the future.
I actually would like for Jagr's number to be retired. I know a lot of people think little of him, but he was a big part of the Pens for a good period of time. I think we should wait probably 10 years or so (until he is done playing for a lengthy time and all of his choices has time to settle down), but think it should be up there.
Personally, I would like to visit the Pens some day and see 66, 68, 71, and 87 hanging up there.
Because of the fact that our retired numbers are so exclusive, I highly doubt Jagr ever gets his up there. He's done too much to piss people off. Maybe unofficially, but never hanging from the rafters. I wouldn't doubt people would boo it as it's being risen up there.
I suppose it's not like the Pens have some overwhelming candidates and Jagr is still active.
However Barrasso, Pronovost, Kehoe and even Francis are arguable candidates.
So, trying to be seriously exclusive?
why not, Briere was killed following a tragic accident that robbed the team of a Giroux-type star. And of course, Le Magnifique needs no explanation. We had a ring of honor that had players like Samuelsson, Tocchet, Coffey, Francis, Binkley, etc. Only those deemed worthy enough should be retired. In other words, don't do what the Rags like to do & retire a marginal player like Graves....
Jagr's number retirement ceremony will come into discussion during the 2016-2017 years when its the 25th anniversary of the first 2 Stanley cup teams. Eventually if Lemieux and Jagr let bygones be bygones.....he'll get his number retired around that time.
In the future you have so many candidates with Crosby/Malkin/Fleury/Letang....maybe Orpik.
No way Fleury, Letang or Orpik ever have their numbers retired. They have a ring of honor for stuff like that. The ring of honor says "we wanted to dedicate a ceremony to honoring your contributions to the Penguins." Retiring a guy's number says "we'll never have another one like you again." After a tragedy like Briere's, that's the right thing to say. Beyond that, can you really say it about any past Penguin other than Lemeiux?
