WASHINGTON, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- The Washington Capitals said they will retire uniform No. 11 in honor of NHL hall of fame forward Mike Gartner.
Gartner was the fourth-overall pick in the 1979 draft by Washington and spent nearly 10 full seasons with the Capitals. He piled up 789 points over 758 games and held franchise records for goals, hat tricks and points until Peter Bondra recently topped them.
He played a total of 1,432 NHL regular-season games overall through 19 seasons and had 708 goals and 627 assists. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001.
The Capitals said ceremonies honoring Gartner would be Dec. 28 when Washington plays Toronto, one of five NHL teams he played for.
"It is a tremendous honor to be recognized by the Washington Capitals," said Gartner. "I look forward to the upcoming evening in December and sharing these fond memories with my family and those fans in attendance."
Gartner's No. 11 is the fourth number the team, formed in 1974, has retired. Also honored were Rod Langway (No. 5) and Yvon Labre (No. 7) and Dale Hunter (No. 32).
