Right Guy – Wrong Jersey

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)

Brodeur stopped 20 Nashville shots in his debut, including 14 saves in the first period (Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports) nhl jerseys
Martin Brodeur (Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports)

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?

58 thoughts on “Right Guy – Wrong Jersey”

  1. 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!

  2. Manon Rhéaume – Lightning. Gretz/Blues totally weird but come to think of it Gretz in anything other than Oilers was weird.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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)

  6. 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

  7. Iginla – Pens & Bruins
    Theo Fleury – Aves
    Modano – Red Wings
    Brett Hull – Coyotes
    Brodeur – Blues

  8. 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

  9. 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.

  10. 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.

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