Who Wore It Better? #18

In an effort to make the offseason more bearable, we here at Avaholics Unanimous are committed to bringing you Avs related stuff to read. This could come in the form of senseless drabble, or things that are actually interesting to read. We hope these "Who Wore It Better" segments fall under the latter category.

Here we are yet again with another installment of who wore it better. We hope this series is keeping your boring offseason just a little more entertaining. The number 18 is, for some reason, the number Avs players use after they have had success with a former number. Examples: Alex Tanguay switched from #40 to number #18 in 2003. Chris Drury switched to #18 after having success with #37 in the early part of his career. Stephane Yelle had #18 in his final stint with the Avs after being dominant in the face off circle as #26. Brian Willsie, in his return to the Avs in 2008, wore #18 after having #50 in his first go around. Brandon Yip had #59 first. Only 2 players have worn number 18 with the Avs without donning another number. So there is some interesting history!

The Best: Adam Deadmarsh. His first 4 years with the franchise (3 with Colorado) were 20+ goal seasons and he was a rough and tough player that took the pressure of Sakic and company. Top 10 all time Avs player for sure. The only regret of the 2001 season, in our opinion, is that Deadmarsh wasn't around to hoist the cup with the team. He deserved a better than a concussion shortened career.

The Worst: Brandon Yip. The thing that would not be. Drafted in the 8th round, his expectations weren't very high, but after some impressive training camps and time in the AHL, his skill set was enough to gain a spot on the floundering Avs of the late 2000's Avs. His had brief flashes of offense, but was usually very soft and horrible defensively. He got scored on more than (insert random celebrity here).

Mr. Irrelevant: Mike Connolly. The throw in to the McGinn trade, Connolly played 2 games in an Avs uniform with 1 shot on goal and a penalty. No one had high expectations for Connolly and he definitely met them.

Other #18's:

Brian Willsie: Winner of the "Only good thing about the NHL 2002 roster update" award.

Stephane Yelle: We traded him and Drury for nothing. The beginning of the end.

Chris Drury: Winner of the "Early Retirement After a Bad Contract" award.

Alex Tanguay: So bald.

Who Wore It Better?:

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20   21    22    23    24    25    26    27    28    29    30    31    32    33    34    35    36    

37    38    39    40    41    42    43    44    45    46    47    48    49    50    51    52    53   

54    55    57   58    59    60    62    63    71    77    87    88    90    92    94    97