While the Carolina Hurricanes were fighting for a playoff spot in February 2009, they took some time to honor one of the best to don the crest. The organization recognized long-time NHL defenseman and Canes great Glen Wesley by retiring his #2 on February 17, 2009. Never again would his number be worn by a Hurricanes player, earning one of the highest honors a player can achieve.
On this Tuesday night, the Hurricanes would host the Boston Bruins, the team that selected Wesley with the 3rd pick in the 1987 NHL Draft where he would spend the first seven years of his career. Wesley broke into the league the same year he was drafted, finishing fourth in the Calder race with 37 points in 79 games. He received one first-place vote, though Calgary's Joe Nieuwendyk was the runaway winner.
After seven seasons and two losing trips to the Stanley Cup Finals with the Bruins, Wesley was traded to the Hartford Whalers during the 1994 offseason for three first-round picks, all of which would be in the Top 10. Wesley was valuable for his leadership, being named an alternate captain during his first season in Hartford. The most points he scored after being traded was 32 in 68 games during the 1996-97 season, the Whalers' final season.
Wesley followed the Whalers to Raleigh, serving as one of the captains for the Hurricanes' inaugural season. He remained a consistent mid-to-upper 20-point scorer while playing 20-21 minutes per night. Wesley skated in his 1000th game on January 21, 2001, against the Los Angeles Kings, but he was far from finished.
After taking part in the team's run to the 2002 Stanley Cup Final and the following season being a disaster, the Canes traded Wesley to Toronto at the 2003 Trade Deadline for a second-round pick. His time in Toronto was brief. He played seven games in the regular season and five during the postseason before re-signing with the Hurricanes that offseason.
The Hurricanes would finally help Wesley reach the top of the mountain in 2006. It took four trips before he finally got the chance to hoist Lord Stanley. After Rod Brind'Amour had done the honors as the captain, he passed the Cup to the defenseman who had waited 18 seasons. Wesley would play two more seasons, retiring at the end of the 2007-08 campaign.
In 1,457 games, the 28th-most in NHL history, Wesley scored 128 goals and 537 points. His 913 games with Hartford and Carolina are the most by a defenseman and second only to Ron Francis overall. As for the game against Boston, it didn't go well. Matt Cullen opened the scoring but the Bruins scored five unanswered goals, spoiling the fun in a 5-1 Boston win.
Of the three numbers hanging from the rafters at the Lenovo Center, #2 is the player with whom I think newer fans are the most unfamiliar. He didn't put up big numbers like Francis, while Brind'Amour's legacy has continued to grow as the team's head coach. Glen Wesley might not have been a big numbers guy, but there's no doubting his importance to the organization during his time. It's fitting that he was the second player to have his number retired in Raleigh.