In case you missed it, my last article expressed my favorite NHL players to wear numbers 1 through 25. Now we will take a look at my favorite stars who wore numbers 26 through 50.
#26 Martin St Louis
As a non-drafted player, Martin St Louis managed to put up over 1,000 points in over 1,000 games. The five foot eight inch winger managed to use his small stature to his advantage flying past his opponents night after night.
#27 Alexei Kovalev
Growing up a Penguins fan was not always easy, there were some tough seasons we had to endure with an Alexei Kovalev made those seasons bearable. The Russian superstar was always entertaining on the ice, and his filthy hands combined with his accurate shot was a nightmare for opponents’ goalies. Kovalev recorded 76 point and 95 point seasons while with the Penguins.
#28 Tie Domi
Tie Domi was the type of player you loved if he was on your team, but if not he was the enemy. One of the toughest guys to ever play in the NHL, Tie Domi currently sits in third on the all time penalty minute list. If you ever want to see a true fighter, search some of his highlights on YouTube.
#29 Marc Andre Fleury
I’ll never forget Marc Andre Fleury’s debut in 2003 against the Los Angeles Kings. Despite losing the game 3-0, Fleury managed to make 46 saves on 49 shots. It was at this moment, you realized this kid in bright yellow goalie pads was going to be something special for years to come. Since then, Marc Andre experienced his ups and downs battling himself along the way, but also managing to win 3 Stanley Cups along the way. Fleury leaving for Vegas was rough on all the Penguins fans, myself included, however he has still managed to be one of the best goalies in the game.
#30 Martin Brodeur
As a kid I grew up watching Marty Brodeur play for the New Jersey Devils. He was a brick wall in net, and during our backyard hockey days we would pretend to be him since no one could ever score on him (We still say “Marty” after a big save today). Brodeur managed to play 22 seasons in the NHL, and is the only goalie with eight 40 win seasons.
#31 Carey Price
Carey Price has become a new favorite of mine over the past couple of years. Mainly due to the fact his fathead sticker was in my cubicle at my old job when we played “office hockey”, he was there to help me shut down my opponents. Carey Price is best known for being the first goalie to win Ted Lindsay, Jennings, Vezina, and Hart trophy in the same season.
#32 Jonathan Quick
Jonathan Quick is an inspiration to all American kids growing up who want to be a goalie. The guy is a model citizen off the rink, and spectacular to watch on the rink. Quick is the king of making saves that make you go “Wow”, “Oh my god”, or “what the heck just happened?” Don’t believe me? Look some of his saves up.
#33 Patrick Roy
The one the only, Patrick Roy. Patrick Roy is my favorite goalie of all time for many reasons. Roy played an important role on the Avalanche teams of the 90s, that I grew up loving. In addition to being a brick wall in the net, Patrick Roy was not afraid to drop the gloves when the moment was right. Roy’s fights are some of my favorite clips to watch, and when I learned about the story of him basically quitting on the Canadiens my love for Patrick Roy grew even stronger.
#34 John Vanbiesbrouck
Nicknamed the “Beezer” and “VBK”, I first learned about John when he played for the Florida Panthers. Vanbiesbrouck once had records for being the most winningest US-born goalie as well as most shutouts for a US-born goalie until his records were broken by Ryan Miller and Jonathan Quick respectively.
#35 Jean Sebastien Giguere
JS Giguere had himself a heck of a career, but I was a huge fan of him when he played for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Honestly, mainly cause his last name was so awesome and fans would say things like “Get Jiggy with it.” Was it dumb? Yes, probably, but it was catchy and I liked it.
#36 Matthew Barnaby
Who didn’t love Matthew Barnaby? Not only was he one of the best fighters of his time, but he was well known for his chirping during games. A true instigator, who would protect his teammates on a nightly basis. His life has been a little rough since leaving the game, but I will always remember being a fan.
#37 Olaf Kolzig
Kolzig may have had one of the best nicknames in the game, “Olie the Goalie.” As a Penguins fan I grew up rooting against the Capitals, but Kolzig was always fun to watch and you hated knowing how good he was.
#38 Pavol Demitra
I was a big fan Demitra because he was Slovakian, and being part Slovak I always enjoyed using him on Team Slovakia in the NHL video games. Demitra was a talented offensive player who was always consistent. Sadly we lost Pavol Demitra in the Team Lokomotiv plane crash in 2011.
#39 Dominik Hasek
The “Dominator” was a brick wall in the net, when he stayed in it. Hasek was fun to watch, because he wasn’t afraid to come out to play the puck or challenge his opponents. I think the greatest thing about Hasek, was his bird cage style goalie mask. I remember watching him play wondering why his mask looked so different from other goalies, and then I was like “Oh, he must just be a badass”.
#40 Henrik Zetterberg
The Detroit Red Wings were always a dominate team, and with the addition of Pavel Datysuk and Henrik Zetterberg they were a force to be reckoned with. I will admit I hated Zetterberg whenever the Penguins played him in the Stanley Cup, but that’s cause I wanted our team to win.
#41 Jocelyn Thibault
Jocelyn Thibault was part of the deal that sent Patrick Roy to the Quebec Nordiques (Colorado Avalanche). Thibault then played for the Canadiens, Blackawks, Penguins, and eventually the Buffalo Sabres. Thibault was a solid goaltender during his 15 year career.
#42 David Backes
David Backes is a US-born gritty forward who plays the style of game I like to watch. Not a huge fan when he plays against my favorite teams though. Backes currently plays for the Anaheim Ducks.
#43 Conor Sheary
Pronounce it how you want, but I will always say it “Sheer-y”. I have been a fan of Conor since I saw him in the Penguins prospect camps. I remember looking at my dad and saying “That 43 has got some hands, I’d like to see him play for the Pens someday.” Needless to say it happened, and I have enjoyed every minute of it. Grant it he has his haters, but I am happy he has made his return to Pittsburgh.
#44 Sheldon Souray
If Fulton Reed was an NHL player, he would be Sheldon Souray. Souray could probably kill a man with his shot, it was that deadly. Pretty sure Souray won every hardest shot competition he ever participated in, and the best part about him was he was married to former WWE superstar Kelly Kelly.
#45 Aaron Asham
Aaron Asham won the hearts of hockey fans everywhere (unless you’re Jay Beagle) with his shot heard around the world during his fight with Jay Beagle in 2011. Not only did Asham destroy Beagle, but he did the “Go To Sleep” motion after Beagle dropped to the ice. A great clip to watch on repeat if you’re looking for some hockey action.
#46 David Krejci
David Krejci is one of the few players to have success wearing this number. He has been a huge part of the Boston Bruins success since his arrival. You can always count on him when it matters most.
#47 Simon Despres
Simon Despres was a defenseman who provided his team with size on the blueline. I personally liked Simon Despres because he was one of two NHL players to follow our Mother Pucker Inline team on Twitter back when we were dominating our leagues. Despres has retire from the NHL, but if he’s reading this there’s always room on our inline team.
#48 Daniel Briere
Daniel Briere is often referred to as “Mr. Playoffs” for reasons that are quite obvious. Briere was one of the top playoff performers putting up 116 points in 124 playoff games. I would have loved to have Briere on my favorite teams, instead he was ruining our dreams.
#49 Eric Tangradi
Eric “The Big Dog” Tangradi has always been a favorite of mine, even though everyone else is a hater. The guy has size and the ability to do well in the league, however he was never put in the right situation. People expected him to be a goal scorer, and with his size and grit I thought of him more as a role player.
#50 Jonas Gustavsson
This choice strictly comes down to my franchise mode with the Toronto Maple Leafs on NHL. I can’t remember the exact year it was, but I put Gustavsson in goal to see what he was capable of doing and he didn’t disappoint. This is a simple case of “people don’t forget.”
Well there you have it, my favorite NHL players to ever wear numbers 26 through 50. Stay tuned for Part 3, which will include numbers 51-75.
thoughtsfromthebench.com 
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