The number 69 is not explicitly or officially banned by any written rule in the National Hockey League rulebook, but it is heavily discouraged and virtually unused across professional sports due to its explicit cultural connotations and juvenile internet humor. When players select their jersey numbers upon entering the league, equipment managers and team veterans typically steer rookies away from certain numbers to maintain traditional decorum, ensuring that controversial or meme-heavy digits like 69 rarely ever make an appearance on the ice.