SPOTLIGHT on 28 on the 28th: Why Steve Larmer is a Living Legend
Number 28 will always be Number 1 for Chicago, and apparently an NHL.com panel, as well. There were 19 voters and with 46 points, Steve Larmer won the top spot as the best player to wear No. 28 in NHL history. Second place wasn't even close with only 31 points, which went to Claude Giroux.
Drafted 15th out of the 6th round in 1980, Larmer was a Blackhawk from the start, and stayed with them for 13 years, and 884 consecutive games (3rd longest streak in NHL history) before being traded to the Rangers in 1993.
His skill continued in New York, scoring 60 points (21 goals, 39 assists) in 68 regular-season games and 16 points (nine goals, seven assists) in 23 playoff games which helped the Rangers clinch the Stanley Cup in 1994. The next year, which was the last of his career, he played 47 games, scored 14 goals and had 15 assists.
Over his 15 years in the NHL, Larmer earned 1,012 points in 1,006 games (441G, 571A). And even though he retired as a Ranger, he is still beloved by his teammates and Chicagoans alike. And it's not very hard to see why.
«When you live in Chicago and you play for the�Blackhawks, that No. 28 belongs to Steve Larmer,» said�Patrick Sharp. «I don't know how many times you have to call a guy underrated until he's no longer that but that's kind of what Steve Larmer is.»
That statement is echoed by Blackhawk fans who have not been silent about their wish for Number 28 to be retired. And although eight players since Larmer have played in that jersey, the fans only get louder with each one.
Maybe part of that is due to the luck the number brought him, as he started out in Number 31, the first Blackhawk to do so. He only played 7 games in his first two seasons, and only had 1 assist. He was given 28 at training camp before the 82-83 season, which launched his fantastic career with 90 points in 80 games by scoring 43 goals and 47 helpers. The stats stuck, and so did his jersey. While it doesn't appear that Steve Larmer will ever end up in the Hockey Hall of Fame, such an illustrious career should at least earn him a jersey in the rafters.
| POLL | ||
Does Steve Larmer deserve to be in the HoF? | ||
| Yes | 63 | 39.6 % |
| No | 28 | 17.6 % |
| No, but his jersey should be retired | 31 | 19.5 % |
| Yes and retire his jersey | 37 | 23.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
