Player Discussion Jesse Puljujarvi Part 9: 98 NO MORE! JERSEY NUMBER NERDS REJOICE!

[McShogun99]

I can’t believe that POS like Matheson and Jones still have a job today. They made a writing career by shitting on teenagers/young adults that are trying to pursue an NHL career. Most of these old media guys careers needs to be taken out behind the shed and put down.

 

[harpoon]

dim Jim losin it.

While I tend to agree that Puljujarvi didn’t do himself any favours with his previous number, the last thing anybody needs is Jim Matheson tossing his two cents into the conversation after the kid has already decided to switch.

 

[iCanada]

Apparently the Jim Matheson limit is you can't be within 1 of the great one. I pity the fool that tries to wear 100 for our team.

...I think we're gonna be watching a strange mental decline of old Jim over the next years. His hot takes are getting stranger and stranger.

Over the next few years? He's been going absolutely looney for as long as I can recall his name...

 

[5 Mins 4 Ftg]

Time for Jimmy boy to call it a day when all you can think of to ask the coach about is JPs number and tweet for 4 hours during a US Coup attempt why any player in the league cant wear number 98. He has become embarrassing in the same way Greg Wyshinski is annoying.

 

[Aerchon]

While I tend to agree that Puljujarvi didn’t do himself any favours with his previous number, the last thing anybody needs is Jim Matheson tossing his two cents into the conversation after the kid has already decided to switch.

I honestly can't believe anyone would associate taking the number 98 and there being any association to Wayne in any way shape or form. It's absolutely ridiculous. May as well just say anything in the 90's off limits then.

I really can't believe anyone would make this association. Wtf... how... why... I've been watching hockey for 35+ years and never heard a player that took a number close to another great players number EVER being an issue.

How long has this been floating around about Puljujarvi? This is the first I've heard about it. I'm seriously wondering at this point if this actually had something to do with the way he was jerked around in his career in Edmonton to date. Or why some fans on this board seem to hate him before he went full stupid and demanded a trade.

How deep does this rabbit hole go?

 

[Whyme]

I honestly can't believe anyone would associate taking the number 98 and there being any association to Wayne in any way shape or form. It's absolutely ridiculous. May as well just say anything in the 90's off limits then.

I really can't believe anyone would make this association. Wtf... how... why... I've been watching hockey for 35+ years and never heard a player that took a number close to another great players number EVER being an issue.

How long has this been floating around about Puljujarvi? This is the first I've heard about it. I'm seriously wondering at this point if this actually had something to do with the way he was jerked around in his career in Edmonton to date. Or why some fans on this board seem to hate him before he went full stupid and demanded a trade.

How deep does this rabbit hole go?

Coming from Pulju's camp I have to be careful with my words. But I also thought that was pretty ridiculous.

It's possible Pulju's number played some kind of a part in the big picture. A young, childish Scandinavian guy, who doesn't speak English comes to a team where Gretzky had 99 and McD 97 and then chooses #98 for himself. Some maybe felt who the *uck does this guy think he is and even if most don't care it can do some serious damage if the right people (e.g. McLellan) feel like that. Someone might be offended because 98 is one higher than 97. Childish for sure, but like Matheson showed there are childish people out there.

While it shouldn't really matter, because of this 98 probably wasn't the smartest possible choice and 13 gives less pressure in that regard.

 

[Barrsy]

I honestly can't believe anyone would associate taking the number 98 and there being any association to Wayne in any way shape or form. It's absolutely ridiculous. May as well just say anything in the 90's off limits then.

I really can't believe anyone would make this association. Wtf... how... why... I've been watching hockey for 35+ years and never heard a player that took a number close to another great players number EVER being an issue.

How long has this been floating around about Puljujarvi? This is the first I've heard about it. I'm seriously wondering at this point if this actually had something to do with the way he was jerked around in his career in Edmonton to date. Or why some fans on this board seem to hate him before he went full stupid and demanded a trade.

How deep does this rabbit hole go?

Agreed 100%. Ive never, ever heard of anything like this. This is nuts. And I like & respect Matty, but maybe he is actually losing it.

 

[oobga]

Over the next few years? He's been going absolutely looney for as long as I can recall his name...

haha, yeah, I agree. For some reason though I just find this one to be a new level of strange. Did he say anything when Pulju was wearing #98 for 3 years already as an Oiler? It was just such a weird take.

 

[nabob]

Training Camp: Jesse Puljujarvi

Sorry it’s the Facebook link to Jesse’s question period but I couldn’t find any other source for it.

 

[MisterY]

Hello Oilers fan. Aside from the jersey number story, what are the news about Puljujarvi? Is he looking good?

I'm preparing my fantasy pool draft and I'm wondering if he could be worth it...

 

[nabob]

Hello Oilers fan. Aside from the jersey number story, what are the news about Puljujarvi? Is he looking good?

I'm preparing my fantasy pool draft and I'm wondering if he could be worth it...

he’ll very likely start the season on the third line with Turris. I wouldn’t count on him to be a big point producer as we don’t really use a 2nd PP unit, so his chances of PP time is slim.

 

[soothsayer]

dim Jim losin it.

What an absolute moron.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

the comments are absolute gold though lol

 

[Drivesaitl]

I honestly can't believe anyone would associate taking the number 98 and there being any association to Wayne in any way shape or form. It's absolutely ridiculous. May as well just say anything in the 90's off limits then.

I really can't believe anyone would make this association. Wtf... how... why... I've been watching hockey for 35+ years and never heard a player that took a number close to another great players number EVER being an issue.

How long has this been floating around about Puljujarvi? This is the first I've heard about it. I'm seriously wondering at this point if this actually had something to do with the way he was jerked around in his career in Edmonton to date. Or why some fans on this board seem to hate him before he went full stupid and demanded a trade.

How deep does this rabbit hole go?

By no means am I supporting the Matheson argument, I'm not, I already flamed Matheson on this.

But just as an aside in past times, in the 70's 80's anybody that took on an upper deck type high number like 77, 89, 99 etc, these were the star calibre players. The thinking of tthe time being is if you take on such a number you were an icon, you literally had a target on your back, and you had better perform. It used to be considered that numbers like that were only for top echelon players. That might be what Matheson is conflating, albeit very poorly.

In anycase I don't detect that any similar thoughts around numbers really exists today, but when the high numbers first started occuring, it was a big thing, a big flash, it was the player equivalent of wearing bling.

 

[MisterY]

he’ll very likely start the season on the third line with Turris. I wouldn’t count on him to be a big point producer as we don’t really use a 2nd PP unit, so his chances of PP time is slim.

Thank you for your answer, very helpful!

 

[Drivesaitl]

Nice rebound goal by Pulju in scrimmage, got some cheers, tied the game with goaltender pulled. He cloaked into position just to side of net for rebound, was in the right spot.

 

[KMart27]

There's reason for some optimism after watching today.

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

Nice rebound goal by Pulju in scrimmage, got some cheers, tied the game with goaltender pulled. He cloaked into position just to side of net for rebound, was in the right spot.

Cloaking. haha. Read that and thought this!

Nice aggressive shift by Puljujarvi. Great wheels, aggressive forecheck including knocking down an errant pass for offensive possession and where you need to be in the hard areas of ice to pot goals. Nice shift and work rewarded.

 

[MuzzaFuzza]

I honestly can't believe anyone would associate taking the number 98 and there being any association to Wayne in any way shape or form. It's absolutely ridiculous. May as well just say anything in the 90's off limits then.

I really can't believe anyone would make this association. Wtf... how... why... I've been watching hockey for 35+ years and never heard a player that took a number close to another great players number EVER being an issue.

How long has this been floating around about Puljujarvi? This is the first I've heard about it. I'm seriously wondering at this point if this actually had something to do with the way he was jerked around in his career in Edmonton to date. Or why some fans on this board seem to hate him before he went full stupid and demanded a trade.

How deep does this rabbit hole go?

Don't know about the media, but the second it was announced he would wear #98 there was several posters on this board who were saying this exact thing, and then said it again at the beginning of camp.

 

[Aerchon]

Don't know about the media, but the second it was announced he would wear #98 there was several posters on this board who were saying this exact thing, and then said it again at the beginning of camp.

Wow.

@Drivesaitl I understand that high numbers represent elite players, especially double numbers like 66 77 99... however 98 while very high isn't a double number. The basic correlation of 99 to 98 would be the same as someone taking 76 or 78. Or 87 or 89. Etc...

I hope this was not a thing but it would at least explain why such a highly regarded prospect was given so little PP opportunity and was imo obviously jerked around a bit by the organization. Puljujarvi did not play poorly, especially in regards to the opportunity he was given, until his final year where he was dealing with a nagging injury.

I always assumed some of his lack of usage was simple cap management but if the whole number thing... is a thing. That's gross.

 

[Gordian Knot]

Idk, it looks like he has taken a bit shorter stick than previously?

Anyway good to have ice time and get confidence. He will be tough guy to handle when skating towards you with full steam.

 

[GrinningBuddha]

Hello Oilers fan. Aside from the jersey number story, what are the news about Puljujarvi? Is he looking good?

I'm preparing my fantasy pool draft and I'm wondering if he could be worth it...

If you're in a 1-year pool, I wouldn't put much stock in Pulju. He's going to be up and down the lineup as a number of players will get their turn with McDavid. I can see him getting significant time on the top line towards the end of the season but it won't be enough to get his point totals up to the point where you'd draft him over a Conor Garland or Tyler Toffoli.

Next year is probably a different story.

 

[joestevens29]

I hope Benson or KY take their birth year number now that is available.

 

[Dorian2]

Nothing wrong with picking your birth year as a number. Especially for a hockey player with an inclination of superstition. I've been a Bobby Clarke fan since a kid and always picked #16 for my jersey # if available. When it wasn't after we moved, I couldn't use a couple of my lucky numbers 3 and 7 as they were already taken. So I ended up using 12 as it's my birthday number. I don't think 69, my birth year, would've sat well as a 10 - 12 year old so.......

 

[McHockey]

Omg I can’t believe he did this. Doesn’t he know that 13 is only two numbers higher than 11! Who does the Puljujarvi kid think he is basically comparing himself to Messier.