Thank you. This is very much appreciated.
I believe it is important to embrace our past and celebrate our present and future.
I am very pleased that Mike Gartner and his family accepted this offer from our franchise and was re-embraced by our media and our fan base. Welcome home Mike! You are up where you belong.
We are honored to celebrate Mike’s career tonight.
To be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame is a great honor and to have the team you were drafted by and flourished with retire your jersey is also a fitting capstone to a great career in the NHL. The fans remember your great play and achievements and your contributions to our franchise. Congratulations to you and your family. You will always be a Washington Capital in our eyes.
Here are details on the Mike Gartner Night on December 28th. Also go to our website and leave a congratulatory message for Mike, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Here is a good overview with accurate and complete quotes on the Mike Gartner ceremony and jersey/number retirement. Check it out and thank you.
No. I was responding to why Mike Gartner was having his number retired and what the justification was. If you make the Hall of Fame and were inducted as a Cap or you help us win a Stanley Cup and you are, say, an MVP - you will definitely get your number retired.
But we are, of course, open-minded about what other numbers will be retired. We just need to get an objective format instead of making these decisions on the fly on a subjective manner. So don’t get all freaked out. :-)
Over the last six years or so, I have received hundreds and hundreds of emails from long term fans, season ticket holders and media members asking and cajoling us to retire Mike Gartner‘s number and jersey. The rationale was simple. He was a great player who was inducted into the Hall of Fame and who played more than half his games in a Caps sweater and scored more than half his goals in a Caps sweater. He became a leader for the Players Union and was an example in the community.
“Why this year?” you may ask. The rebuild is over. We don’t need to do any ceremonial “feel good” gestures. We wanted to fete Mike and make it his day. We also wanted to re-embrace one of our own and say thank you for the great production and congratulations for being a hall of famer.
The Washington Capitals will be retiring Mike Gartner’s jersey this coming season. Click here for the news release on this great honor. Mike is in the Hall of Fame and we are so very happy he has agreed to be feted by our franchise.