With the 2023-24 NHL season just seven days away from opening night, our Arizona Coyotes is taking a break from the usual offseason content to discuss a fun and often talked about subject: Who will be the next Coyote to have their number retired?
As it currently stands, franchise great and longtime captain Shane Doan is the only Coyote to have his number retired by the organization, back in 2019. Other names such as Wayne Gretzky, Keith Tkachuk, Jeremy Roenick, Teppo Numminen, Dale Hawerchuk, Thomas Steen, Bobby Hull, and Leighton Accardo are recognized as members of the organization’s ring of honor.
While the Coyotes prepare for the upcoming season, we take a look at three possible names that could have their number retired by the organization in the future.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Oliver Ekman-Larsson might not have played a ton of playoff hockey during his 11 years in the valley, but his commitment and production while a member of the Coyotes deserves a fair share of recognition. From the day he arrived in Arizona at 19 years of age, the eventual captain made his mark as a strong, two-way defenseman.
During his decade in the desert, the cleverly nicknamed OEL would accomplish highs, such as becoming the first Swedish-born defenseman in NHL history to score more than 20 goals in one season. He set Coyotes franchise records such as most goals by a defenseman, most game-winning goals by a defenseman, and most power-play goals scored by a defenseman.
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He was nominated for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2018, finished twice on the ballot for the Norris Trophy, and appeared as the Coyotes All-Star Game representative in 2015 and 2018 during his 11-year stint. After being named captain in 2018, Ekman-Larsson’s game took a hit following the death of his mother a year before.
With the team heading into a rebuild, his time in the desert would ultimately end in the summer of 2021. He was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks, along with team Conor Garland. He played two seasons in Vancouver before signing with the Florida Panthers this offseason. In his 11 years in the valley, he recorded 388 points on 128 goals and 260 assists in 769 games played. He was a dominant presence on the blue line during his time in Arizona, and a huge fan favorite. Whenever he decides to call it a career, the Coyotes should undoubtedly send his number to the rafters next to Shane Doan.
Teppo Numminen
It’s only fitting that the next possible name that could have their number retired is also perhaps the second-greatest defenseman in franchise history, behind you guessed it, Ekman-Larsson. Teppo Numminen’s time in the Grand Canyon state goes back to before the Coyotes arrived in 1996. No, the Finnish defenseman’s career started with the original Winnipeg Jets in 1988-89. He’d spend the first eight years of his career in Winnipeg before relocating with the franchise to Phoenix ahead of the 1996-97 season.
While Teppo dominated in his own right with the Jets, he shinned with the Coyotes. He registered 55 goals and 214 assists for 269 points in 551 games during his seven years in Phoenix. He served as the team’s captain from 2001 until his departure in 2003. He holds the Coyotes franchise record for most assists by a defenseman, along with most points by a defenseman. His accomplishments in Winnipeg are worth noting as well, as the team retired his number during the 2022-23 season. While he currently resides as a member of the team’s ring of honor, the organization should keep Numminen’s name in consideration when deciding on whose number to retire next.
Keith Tkachuk
The final name on this list is fittingly enough another former captain and current Ring of Honor member, Keith Tkachuk. No other player in franchise history was more dominant on the ice than the original Coyotes captain. He spent 10 seasons with the Winnipeg/Phoenix organization (five with each), scoring 323 goals and 300 assists for 623 points in 640 games. In his five years in the desert, Tkachuk recorded 52, 40, 36, and 22 in each of his respective seasons.
He holds the record for most penalty minutes in franchise history and most goals in a season in Coyotes history and is tied with Clayton Keller for the most points in a single season in Arizona history. He’s regarded as one of the greatest U.S.-born players in NHL history, just one of 47 players to have scored 500 or more goals, but has yet to be named to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Doan is hands down the most important player in franchise history and one of the sole reasons the team is still here today. Tkachuk was the guy who put the team on the map though, from 1996-2001. As the Coyotes continue to add to their history in Arizona, they should look to honor the second most influential player in franchise history by retiring his number.
Final Thoughts/Honorable Mentions
The Coyotes may not have a glamorous history. Sure, they’ve had their ups and downs (lots of downs), but they’ve had their fair share of notable names, who left their mark in Arizona in one way or another. Sure, they didn’t have a Gretzky, Howe, Orr, Lemieux, or even a Brodeur. What they had was their own franchise greats who impacted the game of hockey in Arizona.
The Coyotes need to honor one, if not, all three of the players mentioned above by retiring their numbers in the future. With other notable mentions such as Jeremy Roenick, Dale Hawerchuk, Thomas Steen, Bobby Hull, Keith Yandle, Mike Smith, Sean Burke, Nikolai Khabibulin, Ilya Bryzgalov, and others, the Coyotes have endless options, with plenty more in the distant future. What do you think? Whose number do you think the Coyotes should retire next? Let us know below.
