When looking through the New York Rangers record books, 39 players have worn sweater No. 12.
Alberts Smits, the club's freshly drafted fifth-overall pick and breakout preseason performer, decided to shed his temporary rookie camp No. 63 and claim No. 12 ahead of Tuesday's season opener in Boston. While every young player has their own personal motivations for choosing a sweater, one undeniable truth stands out above the rest. Smits has the talent and pedigree to become the greatest player to ever wear it in franchise history.
History of No. 12
Smits becomes the 40th player in franchise history to don the sweater, stepping into a number worn by some remarkable names.
Long before his No. 9 was raised to the Madison Square Garden rafters, franchise legend Andy Bathgate broke into the league wearing No. 12 from 1952 to 1955 while Paul Ronty occupied the number. Once Bathgate swapped sweaters, Andy Hebenton took over No. 12, skating in 560 consecutive games as the NHL's original ironman.
Decades later, Don Maloney (brother of former Ranger and current analyst Dave) established the modern benchmark, sporting No. 12 for 10 seasons from 1978 through 1989 while racking up over 500 points. Others have also worn the number including 1994 Stanley Cup champion Eddie Olczyk, Hartford Wolf Pack icon Ken Gernander, and failed deadline acquisition Eric Staal.
In recent seasons, however, the number has bounced around the fringes of the depth chart. Connor Mackey wore it in limited action last year, preceded by Nick Bonino in 2023-24. In fact, Julien Gauthier remains the last Blueshirt to hold down No. 12 for more than a single campaign.
When it comes to numbers in general, the Rangers' single-digit numbers are virtually all occupied in the rafters with Ed Giacomin's 1, Brian Leetch's 2, Harry Howell's 3, Rod Gilbert's 7, and both Adam Graves and Bathgate's 9 permanently retired. Smits now has a chance to take a sweater originally worn by a team legend and turn it into a permanent fixture of his own.
Smits can be greatest to ever wear it
The fact that Smits broke through out of training camp to earn an everyday NHL job at just 18 years old is remarkable. Selected in June, the Latvian blueliner bypassed the usual AHL seasoning in Hartford by demonstrating elite poise, active stick work, and physical maturity throughout the preseason.
All eyes will be on him when he makes his NHL debut Tuesday night at TD Garden skating alongside Braden Schneider. After almost grabbing Alexander Nikishin from Carolina, this team still made solid moves in getting Marcus Pettersson and Sean Durzi, along with drafting Smits with the fifth-overall pick.
New York has had rotten luck with high-profile draft picks over the past half-decade, but Smits possesses the tools and the trust of head coach Mike Sullivan to rewrite that narrative. If his career trajectory matches his draft pedigree, that No. 12 will hang from The Garden ceiling when it is all said and done.
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