New numbers for a couple of Wings

[Bingocomedy 0]

If I remember correctly, Uwe Krupp use to wear # 4 as well.....

[up2here 41]

This honouring Probert stuff has really gotta stop. The guy finished his career with a different team, and known as an enforcer first and foremost (I know he had some points too). I know its unfortunate that he passed away earlier then he should've but its not like the Vladdy situation where he was on the team when it happened. I love Probie and everything he did for this team but really his number does not deserve to be taken out of circulation or anything. A jersey patch or number on the helmets maybe nut not honouring his number

I dont like to speak for someone but I assumed he meant just keep it out of circulation for one season or so, not retire it. I would have liked that to happen also.

[newfy 695]

I dont like to speak for someone but I assumed he meant just keep it out of circulation for one season or so, not retire it. I would have liked that to happen also.

Yeah but then you have a guy on your team who wants 24 possibly but he wears a different number for one season then the next season he can switch to number 24? It just seems really odd because he did nothing to earn his number being out of circulation even for a year. The guy passed away, its sad that it happened but he did play the second half of his career with another team and wasn't a great player, just a great fighter. If every time a former wing died their number was taken out of circulation, even just for one year, it would cause a whack of troubles for people trying to pick jerseys

[up2here 41]

Yeah but then you have a guy on your team who wants 24 possibly but he wears a different number for one season then the next season he can switch to number 24? It just seems really odd because he did nothing to earn his number being out of circulation even for a year. The guy passed away, its sad that it happened but he did play the second half of his career with another team and wasn't a great player, just a great fighter. If every time a former wing died their number was taken out of circulation, even just for one year, it would cause a whack of troubles for people trying to pick jerseys

You can make a case that Probert did as much as Vladdy did for this team and this city and Vlad's number is still out of circulation.

[Hockeytown_Ryan 119]

I think salei should skate out into the home opener with a PROBERT patch over his name on the 24. then take it off when the game starts.

Actually I think It would be fitting if ALL the players wore a 24 Probert Jersey for pre-game then put on their actual jerseys when the game starts. Those are my thoughts...not yours on whatever day it is in August..

[newfy 695]

You can make a case that Probert did as much as Vladdy did for this team and this city and Vlad's number is still out of circulation.

I would like to see you make that case first of all. And thats not even the point, Vladdy was this teams number one defenseman and STILL PLAYING for this team when the accident happened. Vladdy very well could have been still playing on this team if that accident didnt happen. Probie had been out of hockey for a while and the team he retired from and played the entire second half of his career for wasn't even Detroit.

But seriously if you wanna make an argument about Probert doing as much for this team as Vladdy did then I would love to see it. Vladdy was the runner up for the norris the year of the accident and was a huge piece in our drought ending stanley cup win. Those 2 facts alone pretty much negate anything Probert did.

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

I would like to see you make that case first of all. And thats not even the point, Vladdy was this teams number one defenseman and STILL PLAYING for this team when the accident happened. Vladdy very well could have been still playing on this team if that accident didnt happen. Probie had been out of hockey for a while and the team he retired from and played the entire second half of his career for wasn't even Detroit.

But seriously if you wanna make an argument about Probert doing as much for this team as Vladdy did then I would love to see it. Vladdy was the runner up for the norris the year of the accident and was a huge piece in our drought ending stanley cup win. Those 2 facts alone pretty much negate anything Probert did.

And just for the record, newfy is a grit slappy arguing against Probert. So this is legit, and I agree with him, but thats not the point

[up2here 41]

I would like to see you make that case first of all. And thats not even the point, Vladdy was this teams number one defenseman and STILL PLAYING for this team when the accident happened. Vladdy very well could have been still playing on this team if that accident didnt happen. Probie had been out of hockey for a while and the team he retired from and played the entire second half of his career for wasn't even Detroit.

But seriously if you wanna make an argument about Probert doing as much for this team as Vladdy did then I would love to see it. Vladdy was the runner up for the norris the year of the accident and was a huge piece in our drought ending stanley cup win. Those 2 facts alone pretty much negate anything Probert did.

I dont want to turn this into a Vlad bash because I love the guy and he was great but before the accident he wasnt universally loved by Wings fans. Probert was arguably as popular as Stevie Y and was an all-star while playing with the Wings before they became really succesful under Scotty Bowman.

Im not saying Probert was better than Vladdy I'm just saying that they should have retired his number for at least one season.

[softshoes 83]

You can make a case that Probert did as much as Vladdy did for this team and this city and Vlad's number is still out of circulation.

I can't make that case. Probert died to early and in a tragic way so I can give a pass to anyone that wants to elevate him a level higher than I think they should. I personally think of him as a Blackhawk more than a Wing, so you could make a case for me being nuts.

[Jesusberg 1,256]

I've got no issues with any of them. I think Kindl will look good with the #4.

[woodrow40 42]

So how are they going to be honoring Probert? I know 24 won't be retired but feels odd not to take it out of circulation at least this year.

They'll honor him by getting in 24 fights this season.

Wouldn't that be something?

[Shady Ultima 40]

Actually I think It would be fitting if ALL the players wore a 24 Probert Jersey for pre-game then put on their actual jerseys when the game starts. Those are my thoughts...not yours on whatever day it is in August..

Apparently, they're 89x's thoughts really.

[pjgj13 30]

Rick Zombo also wore #4!

[DSM 114]

Didn't Cory Cross wear #4 too?

[MulesWillFly93 199]

Did someone have to take 25 so fast? I mean, I know we can't unofficially retire every darn number, but it's a little hard for me to be unbiased about D-Mac, so I really am trying to compromise by wishing they'd leave it alone for a couple of years. If you want to know what I'm really thinking, my initial reaction was, "NOOOO!!! PUT 25 IN THE RAFTERS!!" So I really did tone it down, I swear.

[titanium2 867]

Did someone have to take 25 so fast? I mean, I know we can't unofficially retire every darn number, but it's a little hard for me to be unbiased about D-Mac, so I really am trying to compromise by wishing they'd leave it alone for a couple of years. If you want to know what I'm really thinking, my initial reaction was, "NOOOO!!! PUT 25 IN THE RAFTERS!!" So I really did tone it down, I swear.

That's how I felt about Shanny's 14. And even Igor's 8.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

Did someone have to take 25 so fast? I mean, I know we can't unofficially retire every darn number, but it's a little hard for me to be unbiased about D-Mac, so I really am trying to compromise by wishing they'd leave it alone for a couple of years. If you want to know what I'm really thinking, my initial reaction was, "NOOOO!!! PUT 25 IN THE RAFTERS!!" So I really did tone it down, I swear.

If you do that though, then you'll eventually have to put 24, 96, 30, and 91 up there and so on and so forth. I personally won't get hot and bothered by this if it happened (which it won't), but putting every jersey number up to the rafters who made a decent contribution to the Wings just because us die-hards want to gets a little beyond the ridiculous line. When does it stop?

I love McCarty for his time here, and while I started watching Red Wings hockey soon after Probert's career went to Chicago, I have little doubt he made solid contributions here as well. But it would not shock me if he is remembered more as a Blackhawk.

25 isn't going to the rafters, nor is 24 anytime soon just because Probert died. Not putting it up to the rafters or temporarily putting it out of circulation, as stated earlier, is not being inconsiderate or whatever. They honored him properly, paid his respects with a proper ceremony/time, nobody will definitely ever forget him but now it is time to move on in life back to the normal routine.

If this makes me inconsiderate, well I'm sorry.

[mmamolo 287]

Although I do agree there are times when I hate to see certain numbers taken by new or young players I definitely would never want to see numbers retired when they are not of the same calibre as the rest of the names in the rafters. Retiring a player's number that is not of the same calibre as the rest already up there dimishes the honour and some how takes away from the prestige of the whole thing. As much as I love a lot of these former wings having your number retired it slotted for the absolute best of the best (in all aspects of the sport)

[9-HoweFan 2]

Smith kinda seems like a #2 to me.

Hopefully he doesn't play like a #2!

[egroen 384]

I would like to see you make that case first of all. And thats not even the point, Vladdy was this teams number one defenseman and STILL PLAYING for this team when the accident happened. Vladdy very well could have been still playing on this team if that accident didnt happen. Probie had been out of hockey for a while and the team he retired from and played the entire second half of his career for wasn't even Detroit.

100% agreed.

But seriously if you wanna make an argument about Probert doing as much for this team as Vladdy did then I would love to see it. Vladdy was the runner up for the norris the year of the accident and was a huge piece in our drought ending stanley cup win. Those 2 facts alone pretty much negate anything Probert did.

Probert did break Gordie Howe's franchise record for points in the playoffs in 1988 (without Yzerman centering him). That record actually lasted until Fedorov in 1995. Probert was a legitimate power forward for a time, and not just the greatest enforcer who ever lived.

I'd still put Vladdie ahead, but it's not exactly undebateable.

[egroen 384]

Yeah that's true.

At the same time, we've had Jamie Pushor, Uwe Krupp, Jamie Rivers and Kyle Quincey as stated in this thread. Guys who didn't make all that much impact as Red Wings. Kindl doesn't exactly have a number with good juju around it, which doesn't help the fact that many already think he's a bust. Red Kelly is cursing that number from the heavens.

I believe Red Kelly is still alive.

Kelly is probably the 3rd greatest Red Wing ever in terms of on-ice accomlishments (behind only Howe and Lidstrom), and it's really a shame he has never been honored by the Red Wings organization. The whole 'rift' stems from Jack Adams trading Kelly to the New York Rangers (at the time - hockey purgatory) after Kelly let it slip to a reporter that his production was down in the playoffs 'possibly' due to playing with a broken ankle.

Trivial Fact: Current NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell also wore #4 for Detroit.

[Z Winged Dangler 2,082]

Didn't Cory Cross wear #4 too?

For some reason I remember cory cross wearing #23 for the wings...?

[titanium2 867]

I believe Red Kelly is still alive.

Kelly is probably the 3rd greatest Red Wing ever in terms of on-ice accomlishments (behind only Howe and Lidstrom), and it's really a shame he has never been honored by the Red Wings organization. The whole 'rift' stems from Jack Adams trading Kelly to the New York Rangers (at the time - hockey purgatory) after Kelly let it slip to a reporter that his production was down in the playoffs 'possibly' due to playing with a broken ankle.

Oh right. Woops. Maybe I was thinking of Aurie.

Wait I don't quite understand why that's a reason to trade someone.

Trivial Fact: Current NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell also wore #4 for Detroit.

Well then that seals it. That number is just cursed.

[egroen 384]

Oh right. Woops. Maybe I was thinking of Aurie.

Wait I don't quite understand why that's a reason to trade someone.

Jack Adams was pretty much a dictator at a time before there was a players' union (for which he traded away Ted Lindsay and planted false quotes attributed to him in the local newspapers, for Lindsay trying to form one).

He made Kelly play in 1959 with a broken ankle, while Detroit was trying to make the playoffs. A reporter commented on his poor play and Kelly responded with "Might've been the ankle"... which was enough to prompt Adams to send him packing to the worst team at the league at the time. Kelly retired instead, until I believe Toe Blake talked him into playing for Toronto and traded Adams Marc Reaume for Kely -- in what is still one of the most lopsided trades in NHL history. Kelly would go on to win 4 more Cups with Toronto, while Reaume would score all of 2 pts for Detroit in 47 games.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

For some reason I remember cory cross wearing #23 for the wings...?

Nah, no #23 for Cross during his brief Detroit stint. #4 the whole way.