He was 18-years-old when he was drafted by the New York Islanders in the second round of the 1974 draft. A talented youngster from Val Marie, Saskatchewan, Bryan Trottier was about to embark on a wild Hall of Fame career that would feature six stanley cups, four with the dynasty Islanders teams. It is no wonder why 30 years after the Islanders first Stanley Cup victory, his legend, leadership and hockey skills are still the talk of Islanders fans.

Having transcended generations of fans, there’s no surprise Trottier’s Islanders sweater number was retired on Oct. 20, 2001. Of the six sweaters that hang from the Coliseum rafters, the story behind Trottier selecting “19″ for his jersey may one of the most anti-climactic.

When he came to Training Camp in 1975 and needed to decide what number to wear, Trottier turned down three of the numbers offered to him by then equipment manager Jim Packard.

“Number 19 was the lowest number of the jerseys was left,” Trottier said. “The other numbers were very high. They were up in the high twenties and thirties. I always thought to myself 19 was right because I was 19-years-old at the time and it just kind of seemed kind of appropriate.”

Click to read full article