Corey Crawford is the best player in NHL history to wear No. 50, according to an NHL.com panel.
The Blackhawks goaltender skated away with the honor with 56 points over one of his former teammates in center Antoine Vermette’s 29 points. First-place votes were worth three points, second-place votes worth two points and third-place votes worth one point.
Crawford received 18 first-place votes and one second-place votes. Vermette had one first-place vote, 10 second-place votes and six third-place votes.
Vermette wore No. 80 with Chicago after he was acquired at the trade deadline from Arizona in 2015. Vermette wore No. 20 for the five seasons of his career in Ottawa then switched to No. 50 for the next seven seasons with Columbus and Arizona before Chicago. He wore No. 50 again for the final two seasons of his career in Anaheim.
“Crawford falls under the radar among NHL goaltenders, but the Blackhawks don’t win the Cup in 2013 and 2015 without him,” NHL.com staff writer Tracey Myers said.
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Crawford won the William Jennings Trophy during Chicago’s 2013 and 2015 championship seasons with Ray Emery and tied Montreal’s Carey Price, respectively, as the goalie with the fewest goals against. Crawford had a .932 save percentage, 6.04 goals-saved above average and one shutout during Chicago’s 2013 Cup run. In 2015, he had a .924 save percentage, 1.46 GSAA and two shutouts.
Crawford wore No. 29 in the AHL, but when he moved up to the Blackhawks he was given No. 50 by the team’s equipment manager Troy Parchman and stuck with it because it reminded him of a linebacker.
Campbell takes No. 51
Former Blackhawks defenseman and current development coach Brian Campbell was named the NHL’s best No. 51.
Campbell played four seasons (2008-11, 2016-17) of his 17-year career with Chicago, including winning the Cup in 2010. The offensively-skilled defenseman scored 134 points (24 goals, 110 assists) in 295 regular-season games and 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) in 47 playoff games.
Campbell had 15 first-place votes and three second-place votes. Valtteri Filppula had three first-place votes, 11 second-place votes and four votes for third place. Frans Nielsen also picked up a first-place vote, four second-place votes and seven for third.
“Campbell was an excellent, but underrated, player for 17 seasons,” NHL.com managing editor John Kreiser said. “He had the kind of speed that plays well in any era, and that speed became even more useful as his career went along.”
Campbell wore No. 51 for his entire career with four different teams: Sabres (1999-2008), Sharks (2008), Blackhawks (2008-11, 2016-17) and Panthers (2011-16).