Which Player’s Number will be Retired First by the Vegas Golden Knights?

One of the original misfits? The Captain? Jackie Aces? Or that goaltender that once had an agent that tweeted a bloody sword going through his back? Which player’s number will be the first to be retired by the Vegas Golden Knights?

Before we get into potential Golden Knights players to have their number retired, let’s take a look at some other franchises and how many numbers they have retired.

The Montreal Canadiens have retired 15 numbers, the most in the National Hockey League. Founded in 1909, the Canadiens have been a franchise for 114 years. That equates to approximately one number retired every eight years. The St. Louis Blues joined the league in 1966 and have eight retired numbers. That equates to one number retired just over every seven years.

Using the frequency above, just one Golden Knight from seasons one through six would potentially get his number retired. Who are the top candidates to have their number be the first ever retired by the Golden Knights?

First candidate: #61 captain Mark Stone. The first captain in team history will have spent nine seasons in Vegas assuming he isn’t traded prior to his contract expiring in 2027. There is a chance Stone plays additional seasons with the Golden Knights as well.

Since arriving in Vegas, Stone has been a point-per-game player and the leader of the Golden Knights. It is a different team when Stone is not on the ice. The team has shown to lack intensity and motivation without Stone.

Stone is loved as much off the ice by the fans as he is on the ice by his teammates. #61 is the even-money favorite to be the first number retired in team history.

Second candidate: #81 Jonathan Marchessault. An original misfit who just may have the biggest voice in the locker room, Marchessault is a leader that saves his best for the playoffs. The 2o23 Conn Smythe winner had 25 points in 22 playoff games during the Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup run.

Much will depend on whether Marchessault signs an extension with Vegas after the 2024 season. If Marchessault signs a lengthy extension with Vegas, there’s a solid chance #81 hangs from the rafters of T-Mobile Arena one day.

Third candidate: #19 Reilly Smith. The former Golden Knight has a solid shot to have his number retired based on his contributions to the community. Smith hosts the “Battle for Vegas Charity Softball Game” annually and has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charities.

Smith has been a solid contributor for the Golden Knights during the past six seasons with over 340 regular season and playoff points combined.

Best of the rest: Jack Eichel needs more time in Vegas to evaluate if he will possibly have his number retired. Marc-Andre Fleury is a worthy candidate, but things did not go so well down the stretch. If one could get in based solely on epic championship speeches, William Karlsson would be a lock. Alex Pietrangelo has a reasonable shot to have his number retired by the Golden Knights and St. Louis Blues.

Dark horse candidate: How about Deryk Engelland? Engelland played with the Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL for two seasons in addition to three seasons with the Golden Knights. Engelland was the unwritten captain of the season one Stanley Cup runner-up team.

Everyone remembers Engelland’s courageous speech for the first Golden Knights regular-season game in team history. In 2018, Engelland launched “Engelland’s Vegas Born Heroes Foundation.”