reckon up at the balk at any professional sport locale around the land and you ’re sure to see a fistful of retired jerseys — rarefy air for only the most worth of a team ’s players . It ’s a nice gesture , but where ’d it come from ?
It originated in Canada — specifically with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ace Bailey .
Bailey was a lightning - firm winger for the squad during the late 1920s and early ' 30 . On December 12 , 1933 , Bailey and the Leafs played a game in Boston against the Bruins that would be the last of his vocation . bruin legend Eddie Shore was hipchecked intemperately by Rod Horner during a Leafs penalisation kill and , asHorner excuse itvia the Hockey Hall of Fame ’s website , " [ shoring ] wanted to get even for the check I ’d just put on him . He thought Bailey was me . He charged into Bailey on an angle from the side . He hit Bailey and sky him in the atmosphere , just like a rag doll . Bailey landed on his head just a few feet from where I was tolerate . Bailey gain the ice and he went into some variety of convulsion . I thought to myself , ' That ’s the end of Ace ! ' "
As Bailey lay on the ice unconscious and bloody , Horner skated over to Shore and knocked him out with a punch . The two fallen players were carry off the ice and , in the footlocker way , Shore apologized to Bailey , who replied , " It ’s all part of the game , " before losing consciousness again .
Bailey was cannonball along to the hospital with a intellectual bleeding and doctor think his end was impendent . He survived , but he would never be able to dally field hockey again . On January 24 , 1934 , the NHL ’s card of directors organized a secret plan to be played for his benefit between the Maple Leafs and a squad of the league ’s best players . Bailey was on hand to shake hands with all the participants — including Eddie Shore , and the gesture of sportsmanship between the two realize rapturous cheer from the Toronto gang .
Before the secret plan , Maple Leafs owner Conn Smythe announce to the crew , " No other player on a Maple Leaf hockey team will ever again weary the phone number 6 , " marking the first time in pro sports history that a squad retired a player ’s jersey .
