Meier: 28 Has Become ‘My Lucky Number'

What’s in a number?

Turns out, for Timo Meier, there’s a lot of thought process.

On Monday, Meier has officially changed his number to 28 from 96, the number he wore last season with New Jersey. And it all started with a quick-witted comment from his new general manager.

“The way I came here last year, 28 was (Damon Severson’s) and you know, the situation with contract and all that I didn't really know (where his future was),” Meier said. “(General manager Tom Fitzgerald) said, ‘choose wisely with your number’ when he traded for me, ‘because you're going to have it for a long time.’”

It was one of his first interactions with his new general manager, who seemingly knew that Meier would remain with the Devils long-term.

Of course, the number 28, which Meier had worn throughout his NHL career, was occupied Severson. So, Meier went with 96, a number he has worn before and had no qualms wearing.

Wearing 96 went back to Meier’s days playing in Switzerland when he first signed on to a pro team and was a part of their A-League squad. He was the youngest player on the team, he got to pick his number last.

“I thought it looked cool,” he laughed, “and it was my birth year.”

And when he left home to play in Canada in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League he continued to wear the cool 96 with the Halifax Mooseheads.

His first foray into wearing 28 was again the victim of being one of the youngest players on a team. As an 18-year-old at the World Juniors in 2015, 28 was the number he ended up with.

“I was the youngest (on the team),” he shared of how he ended up with 28, “I took 28 and like how it looked and that’s how it started. And I thought it fit me well.”

Apparently, San Jose did too.

It was at this tournament that the Sharks began to zero in on Meier and they went on to select him 9th overall in 2015.

So, to the Sharks, he was 28.

“They thought it looked great on me,” he shared. “So, they wanted me in that number. And then when I went to San Jose, they gave it to me and at first I was like, I kind of want my 96 number, but then I had the 28 and so I started to like it and just kind of went with it.”

So, when Meier was traded to New Jersey on Feb. 26, 2023, and 28 was already taken, Meier had a chance to switch to the number he originally thought he’d be wearing long-term in the NHL: 96.

But there was something about 28.

Especially after signing a long-term deal with the Devils this morning, that will keep him in New Jersey for at least another eight years. 

He was drawn to make the swap when there was an opening.

When the number opened up this off-season, Meier did give it a lot of consideration. He called it “the other option” and would rely on his family and friends back home to help him with the decision.

“I talked to my friends and family and was like ‘What do you guys think’, and most of the people said 28,” he said. “They think 96 looks better on me, but 28 for me is more what I’ve done (in the NHL), for me in the NHL, it’s my number, it’s kind of brought me luck.”

Meier knew, having seen the jerseys fill Prudential Center, that many people had already purchased his 96 Devils jersey. He was honored to see so many of his jerseys in the crowd immediately after his trade and knows that the change from 96 to 28 means that some will want to change theirs to reflect his new number. He said it did take some thought into whether he would change the number, but when he settled on returning to 28, he knew it was an opportunity to give back to the community that embraced him from the moment he joined the team.

This is why Timo connected with the Devils to partner up and provide fans the opportunity to wear their No. 96 jerseys to the Devils Den and receive a 28% discount, reflective of his new number, on their purchase of a new No. 28 Meier jersey within the first two weeks of the regular season.

In addition, the first 128 fans to purchase a No. 28 Timo jersey will receive a Timo signed puck. 

It doesn’t end there. For Meier, the opportunity to give back has been an essential part of the process in changing numbers, and who he is. When you talk with Meier, it feels a part of his DNA to give back. He has his own hockey clinic with kids back in Switzerland during the summer and feels this has become another opportunity to make an impact here in his adopted community in New Jersey.

Timo will also be matching 28% of all No. 28 jersey sales from the first two weeks of the regular season in a donation to Hockey in New Jersey. Meier wanted to make sure everyone benefitted. Those who supported him with their original 96 jersey purchase, to those less fortunate in the community.

“The switch to go back to 28 took a little thought, a little time but with helping the kids and the community in that way and you know, even back home I help out with the kids youth hockey, so I think it was a perfect solution,” he shared. “I could help out the people that already bought the (96) jerseys and the kids, I think it's a great, great solution.”

The final piece of the initiative is Meier inviting members of Hockey in New Jersey to a future open practice, with a meet and greet as well. Those types of interactions with players for young kids can be transformative, meeting some of their athletic heroes, meeting those that have helped them in some way. But Meier expressed how much it means to him to be able to do something like this.

“It gives a lot to me as well,” he said, “you can help kids, we want everybody to be able to play hockey and I had the chance to follow my dream and go play hockey. It's helped me so much just becoming who I am personally. So, I think if we can help out other kids, having that chance to just go play, meet new friends through hockey and develop their personality through the game, that’s a great, great thing. So, for me, I obviously try to make a difference on the ice but off the ice as well. That gives me a lot of energy and a lot of joy.”

When the new season opens and Meier is introduced at the home opener as No. 28, he will feel fortunate to have made the swap that will help make a difference. And although wearing 96 when he arrived in New Jersey may have fulfilled his original dreams of wearing his junior number at the NHL level, 28 just feels right from here on out.

“It’s my lucky number now.”