OT: Florida Panthers All-Time Number Team: #44

[Panthers Rock]

Hey guys, I thought I might start a new fun set of threads that's designed to go through all the numbers Panthers players have ever worn. Each thread will be a poll to decide the best player for that number. When this is all done, I'll put together a list of the Florida Panthers All-Time Number Team

Notes:

• Some numbers only have one player, so they will represent it by default (and we won't have a thread for them), and obviously some numbers have never been worn and will be skipped.
• If a player wore more than one number for the Panthers, they will be eligible for all numbers worn. If a player wins a number, they cannot be eligible for another.
• The voting only matters for the time that player was a Florida Panther. Ignore their work for any other team.
• In the case of a tie after the 72 hours has completely run out on a poll, we will have a run-off poll to decide that winner.

So far:

Number|Name
1| Roberto Luongo
2| Terry Carkner
3| Paul Laus
4| Jay Bouwmeester
5| Aaron Ekblad
6| Jason Woolley
7| Dmitry Kulikov
8| Peter Worrell
9| Stephen Weiss
10|Pavel Bure
11|Bill Lindsay
12|Olli Jokinen
13|Juraj Kolnik
14|Ray Whitney
15|Jozef Stumpel
16|Aleksander Barkov
17|Derek MacKenzie
18|Mike Hough
19|Radek Dvorak
20|Brian Skrudland
21|Tom Fitzgerald
22|Kristian Huselius
23|Rhett Warrener
24|Robert Svehla
25|Viktor Kozlov
26|Ray Sheppard
27|Scott Mellanby
28|Martin Straka
29|Tomas Vokoun
30|Mark Fitzpatrick
31|Craig Anderson
32|Kris Versteeg
33|Willie Mitchell
34|John Vanbiesbrouck
35|Al Montoya
36|Jussi Jokinen
37|Trevor Kidd
38|Eric Beaudoin
39|Ivan Novoseltsev
40|Steve Washburn
41|Shawn Matthias
42|Quinton Howden
43|Mike Weaver

 

[Ghoste]

The beast incarnate, Guddy!

-ghoste

 

[EnforceTheLaus]

Bertuzzi is a bannable offense TBH.

 

[ShootIt]

Big Bert was awesome for one game.

Then he's "injured" then traded.

Woo

 

[CHGoalie27]

Bertuzzi is a bannable offense TBH.

The worst as far ss I'm concerned.

 

[panthersfan94]

I love Gudbranson, but I just don't think he should be winning here. Niedermayer had 61 points the year we went to the SCF and he had another year with more than 50. I think given more time this will probably be Guds' number, but right now I just don't think the numbers back it up

 

[Panthers Rock]

I love Gudbranson, but I just don't think he should be winning here. Niedermayer had 61 points the year we went to the SCF and he had another year with more than 50. I think given more time this will probably be Guds' number, but right now I just don't think the numbers back it up

I mostly agree. I wasn't very happy with Niedermayer's progression and was glad when we traded him, granted Valeri Bure was not a good compromise in the end. As good as Gudbranson has been, I still think Niedermayer has to take this one, for now.

 

[MintyFresh88]

If this poll was done last season, I highly doubt Gudbranson would be winning.

He's taken a huge step forward this season, which is why I think he's running away with this one, but I agree with panthersfan94 that Niedermayer should take it as of right now.

 

[Bag Of Beans]

#44 is one of our best #'s quality wise. Lots of gems here.

The original savior, first ever draft pick (#5 overall in '93), Rob Niedermayer.

Niedermayer was drafted 5th overall by the Florida Panthers in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft. At the time he was playing for the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League (WHL). He started his NHL career right away, without playing a game in the minors. During the 1996 NHL season he set career highs in goals, assists, and points in the regular season. In the playoffs, the Panthers went on an improbable playoff drive to the Stanley Cup Finals, before being swept in four games by the Colorado Avalanche. Niedermayer was hurt by concussions in the next years and has never been able to achieve the same level of scoring ability again. His NHL role soon turned into a defensive forward.

On July 23, 2001, Niedermayer was traded from the Florida Panthers to the Calgary Flames with a draft pick for Valeri Bure and Jason Wiemer.
- wikipedia

Guddy is no joke. This one is closer than it appears (even though he is currently winning this poll )







Sandis Ozolinsh
'02 - 37 GP, 29 PTS
'03 - 51 GP, 26 PTS
Really good, short tenure here.

Gregory Campbell (although he wore #11 he for the most part)
3rd round pick, played here from '04-'10.
His best season here was in '09 where he played 77 GP and had 32 PTS.

Nick Boynton had a decent stint here in '09, 68 GP, 21 PTS.




Jordan Leopold put up 18 PTS in 61 GP in '10.

Todd Bertuzzi played 7 GP in '07, and scored 7 PTS. I've already said too much...

 

[Gentle Man]

Big Bert!!

 

[Bag Of Beans]

Big Bert!!

Shhhhhhh...

 

[Gentle Man]

Shhhhhhh...

That 82 point pace though

 

[CanadianPantherFan]

Big Bert was awesome for one game.

Then he's "injured" then traded.

Woo

Yep. Hated him, then loved him for one game, back to hating him

Rob Nieds for me as 80s/90s child and first season Panthers fan. Guds is one of my favs though already probably inside my Top 15 or so all time as a Panthers player. I feel he should come in 2nd here until he wrecks havoc for at least one long playoff run. Both players who really have thrived in playoffs moreso than the regular season.

 

[ytsur*]

Could have had Kariya. Thanks Clarke. Rob accumulated some of the "emptiest" points ever by an NHLer. Very soft, no personality, laughable athleticism and watching him act tough (even as recent as his Anaheim days) was cringe-worthy. After getting rocked in his rookie season, he became a marginal middle-sixer after doing so well in the WHL.

When his trade to Calgary was announced at the 2001 draft, the hometown crowd went nuts.

Niedermayer was garbage.

 

[Ekblast]

Could have had Kariya. Thanks Clarke. Rob accumulated some of the "emptiest" points ever by an NHLer. Very soft, no personality, laughable athleticism and watching him act tough (even as recent as his Anaheim days) was cringe-worthy. After getting rocked in his rookie season, he became a marginal middle-sixer after doing so well in the WHL.

When his trade to Calgary was announced at the 2001 draft, the hometown crowd went nuts.

Niedermayer was garbage.

While he did decline is the later years, he was FAR from being garbage. 270 or so points in 8 seasons and 5 goals during the playoffs.

 

[ytsur*]

While he did decline is the later years, he was FAR from being garbage. 270 or so points in 8 seasons and 5 goals during the playoffs.

Based on expectations, he was garbage. Didn't spend an extra season with Medicine Hat and then start out with the Cincinnati Cyclones (our original top farm club out of the shuttered IHL); just straight to the NHL, which was a bit strange since, unlike Jack Ferreira's strategy in Anaheim, Clarke used the expansion draft to select veterans with term on their contracts to compete out of the gate. Niedermayer just didn't fit, and then came the concussions that ended him from the start. But you harping on about his stats shows me you either didn't see him from the very start or you were very young in 1993.

 

[austropanther]

For nostalgia 96 cup run reasons, I get the Niedermayer votes. But this should not be the main reason why he should be voted for, so I don't get that it is even getting up to a draw as of today.

Gudbranson already has made a bigger impact and also will in long run. I love how late in the games during time outs for defensive draw-ups, he is the one giving the directions (before together with Mitchell, Madden just holds the draw-up board). Besides that he is such a great warrior and sacrifices everything for his team and teammates.

The stats will most likely never do him justice. Nevertheless, IMO he is minimum on par with Niedermayer if not has already surpassed him or at least will in the nearest future.

 

[Wander]

^You guys convinced me, I gave my tiebreaking vote to Guds.

 

[Ekblast]

Based on expectations, he was garbage. Didn't spend an extra season with Medicine Hat and then start out with the Cincinnati Cyclones (our original top farm club out of the shuttered IHL); just straight to the NHL, which was a bit strange since, unlike Jack Ferreira's strategy in Anaheim, Clarke used the expansion draft to select veterans with term on their contracts to compete out of the gate. Niedermayer just didn't fit, and then came the concussions that ended him from the start. But you harping on about his stats shows me you either didn't see him from the very start or you were very young in 1993.

Let me explain better. I said Nieds was far from garbage. While he wasn't the best, I wouldn't say garbage.

Example: Chris Wells was garbage.

 

[Panthers Rock]

Wow, closest one in some time, but by just ONE vote, Rob Niedermayer takes it!