NHL Number 26 - Peter Stastny

Peter Stastny wouldn't begin playing in the NHL until the age of 24, but he certainly had enough time to make his mark on the league, and to establish a Hall of Fame hockey career. Stastny would play for three NHL teams (Nordiques, Devils and Blues) over 15 seasons.

Stastny would blast onto the NHL scene with the Quebec Nordiques in 1980-81, scoring 109 points (39 goals and 70 assists), to earn himself the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL Rookie of the Year. How would he follow that season up the next year? By merely scoring 139 points (46 goals and 93 assists). During that 1981-82 sophomore campaign, Stastny would also score 18 points in the NHL playoffs (7 goals and 11 assists) in 12 games.

In fact, Stastny liked scoring so much that he didn't go under the 100 point mark for 6 consecutive seasons, and he only dipped below the 100 point mark because he didn't play a full season in 1986-87. For his career, Stastny would rack up 1,239 points in only 977 games. As of 2010, Stastny was eighth all-time in the NHL in point-per-game (1.27).

An inductee into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1998, Stastny's jersey number 26 was previously retired by the Quebec Nordiques. Stastny ranked number 56 on The Hockey News 1998 list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.

Did you know..............that Peter Stastny's son Paul Stastny plays in the NHL and also wears the number 26, and that Peter's son Yan has played in the NHL as well?

Number 26 in Other Sports

NFL Number 26
MLB Number 26