Countdown to Opening Night in Jersey Numbers, 2024 Edition

[weastern bias]

 

[ForsbergForever]

 

[SirJW]

 

[SirJW]

We never talk about the change in number culture. Most of the high numbers were never or rarely used in the last century. Numbers used to be assigned based on the sleeper bunks on the trains, the goalie got the best bunk (#1) and the best players got them too. Gordie Howe didn't care about #9 until he found out the perks.

 

[weastern bias]

We never talk about the change in number culture. Most of the high numbers were never or rarely used in the last century. Numbers used to be assigned based on the sleeper bunks on the trains, the goalie got the best bunk (#1) and the best players got them too. Gordie Howe didn't care about #9 until he found out the perks.

I think there's also some peculiarities and individual situations that lead to players wearing numbers they probably wouldn't have if they had the choice

Rookie numbers have thrown off some bigger names

Brad Marchand was #17 and #91 in juniors but was assigned #63 out of training camp in Boston

Tyler Toffoli was #16 in juniors but was assigned #73 out of training camp in LA

Both of those players won the Stanley Cup as rookies so they kept the same number for their entire careers, Marchand is now the captain of an original 6 team and Toffoli is a respected veteran journeyman and they are more recognized for wearing their atypical jersey numbers than the numbers they probably grew up identifying with

 

[Lt Dan]

I also hoped that Scott would be a start because of the hardships he faced, but even more because of his last name. Man the possiblitiies....

 

[Guttersniped]

The, uh, problematic Andrei Nazarov.

 

[Esq]

It raises the question then of how the equipment staff assigns numbers. Never seen an article or interview on this.

 

[weastern bias]

It raises the question then of how the equipment staff assigns numbers. Never seen an article or interview on this.

Every team kind of does their own thing

The Sharks have a goofy system where they operate on one pool of numbers shared between the big club and the Barracuda in the AHL so there are never 2 players sharing a number in the NHL and AHL at the same time, but it means the Barracuda roster is constantly populated with a bunch of weird-ass numbers no one would ever pick on purpose

The other end of the spectrum was the Devils under Lamoriello where NO ONE was allowed to wear high numbers, except for when they were like Jagr and Mogilny, because no one is bigger than the team, except of course for the guys who are bigger than the team

I like it when teams just let the rookies pick for themselves, here's the list of available numbers that have not been issued or retired, take your pick, and that should be the end of it, a number is personal to so many players that the fact they are predetermined for so many rookies is just kind of dumb and bizarre old timey-thinking

 

[Neil Racki]

 

[Mike C]

Handsome guy week is over!

 

[Nemesis Prime]

 

[SirJW]

 

[Praetorian Caps]

 

[weastern bias]

 

[DitchMarner]

 

[Ugene Magic]

 

[Guttersniped]

Cory

Riley

 

[uncleben]

Nic Petan (Toronto Maple Leafs; 2020-21)

 

[Mike C]

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Cory

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Riley

I tried to find Pat Hickey in a 61 Blues shirt. Couldn't get one where it was 100 percent visible

 

[Mike C]

One of many NYI bags of dung in late 90s/early 2000s. Ray Schultz

 

[Guttersniped]

Baby Backs

 

[Bobby Orrtuzzo]

 

[Praetorian Caps]

 

[weastern bias]