SI.com's Allan Muir undertook the agonizing chore of choosing the following 101 players. Our one stipulation was that obviously worthy players not be shoehorned into this list if they wore a particular number only briefly. Thus, no Joe Sakic at 88, the number he wore as a rookie with Quebec before switching to his familiar 19, which had some stiff competition.

If this list included the WHA, I would've given this spot to Hall of Famer Bernie Parent, but JD, who wore 00 for the Rangers in 1977-78, is still the only NHLer to wear the number.