#4: Shayne Gostisbehere
"It was my number growing up as a kid. I was a big fan of Bobby Orr. Obviously, I didn't get to see him play, but watching his highlights and being an offensive defenseman, I thought it made sense. When I went to college, I wanted #4, but it was taken, so I picked #14. I've always wanted a four in my number. When I came here the first time, I was #41. It was my dad's old jai alai number, so it worked for me. It was #14 reversed. My first number in Philly was #53, and that was just a training camp number that I'd stuck with. When I came back here, Spencer Martin had #41, and this was the first time in my career that #4 was not retired or available, so I jumped at it."
#5: Jalen Chatfield
"There's no specific reason. Nick Lidstrom wore it, and he was probably my favorite defenseman growing up, but I didn't pick #5. It was just kind of given to me in Utica. I went to #63 in Vancouver and then #64 when I came here. But when I went to the Chicago Wolves (AHL), they gave me #5 again. We won the championship there, and I felt good wearing #5. I've just stuck with it and it's worked out."
#6: Mike Reilly
"I'd been #2 in New York the last couple of years, and I was #5 in college. #5 is taken and #2 is retired. I wore #4 growing up, but that's Shayne Gostisbehere's. So, most of the numbers I've usually worn were taken. But I did wear #6 for World Juniors and World Championships one year. At the time, it was just a random one given to me. I obviously prefer lower numbers, and when I saw what was available, I went with #6."
#11: Jordan Staal
"My dad always wore #12, and Eric wore #12 as a kid. So I decided to take the next closest number, and I've just stuck with it the whole time. I think one time at World Juniors, I wore #10, and I think that's the only time in my life I can remember not wearing #11."
#19: K'Andre Miller
"I always grew up wearing the #9. Then, once I got to high school, one of the seniors had #9, so I switched over to #19. When I was drafted by New York, both #9 and #19 were retired numbers - Andy Bathgate/Adam Graves and Jean Ratelle, respectively - so I went with #79 because it obviously looked similar. Then, when I came here, and #19 was available, I wanted to go back to my college number."
#21: Alexander Nikishin
"My birthday is October 2, 2001, (written out as 2.10.2001 in Russia). So, the first two numbers. I wore #57 and I liked that too, but the past few years I'd worn #21 in Russia, so I went with #21 here."
#22: Logan Stankoven
"It's double 11. I'd worn #11 my whole life because of my cousin. He played junior hockey back home in British Columbia and got a scholarship to play college hockey. I really looked up to him. Then I got traded here, and obviously Jordo has #11. That's probably going to be retired someday."
#24: Seth Jarvis
"Kobe Bryant."
Really?
"Yeah. I got it when I was 15 and went to Portland (WHL), and then I wore it in midget. But yeah, big basketball fan."
#26: Sean Walker
"I wore #28 in college, and it wasn't available when I went to Los Angeles, so #26 was the next closest one."
#27: Nikolaj Ehlers
“Because of my dad and brother. It’s kind of a family number. My dad used to play with it, and now my brother does for my hometown team. So, pretty easy pick.”
#28: William Carrier
"It's my brother's birthday. He wore #20 (Carrier's birth date), and we played together until major junior, but then we split up from there. I was #48 in Buffalo, but that's because there was already a #28 there, but I think I've had #28 for a total of 10 years now."
#31: Frederik Andersen
"It was given to me in Anaheim. #30 was taken, and that's what I wore growing up. I liked #31, though, so I kept it. I think #31 is a great goalie number too."
#37: Andrei Svechnikov
"I wore #37 when I was a kid, and then when I was drafted, my brother was in the NHL, and he was wearing #37, so that's what I went with."
#48: Jordan Martinook
"It was my training camp number in Arizona. I had an opportunity to change it my second year there, but when I'd made the team, every member of my family had already bought a #48 jersey, so I wasn't going to make them change it or buy another one. I just stuck with it."
What were you going to change it to?
"#17. Then I got traded here, and that wouldn't have worked anyway."
Why #17?
"My grandpa used to race stock cars, and his number was #17. So I tried to wear it as much as I could."
#50: Eric Robinson
"It was given to me when I signed with Columbus out of college. They didn't ask me what I wanted; they just gave me a number."
Did you ever think about changing it?
"Yeah, after my first year. I played mostly in the minors, but I played 15 games with the Blue Jackets. That summer, I asked for #19, and they told me they were giving #19 to the first-round pick that they had just drafted. So I kind of figured I knew my place there then and just stuck with #50. It's good, though, because I know it's going to be available pretty much anywhere I go."
#52: Pyotr Kochetkov
"I started with #52 when I was playing for Nizhny Novgorod. I was traded there, and when I was traded, I needed a change. I used to wear #25 because that's my birthday, June 25, and I've always liked the number seven. I think #7 is too different for a goalie, so five plus two still equals seven. So, #52."
#53: Jackson Blake
"They gave it to me at my first Development Camp, and then I had it at my first Training Camp. I didn't ask to switch it, and I kind of like it. It's a good number. Maybe one day I'll switch it, but my family already has the jerseys and all of that stuff, so for right now, I think I'm going to stick with it."
#55: Cayden Primeau
"I got a list of numbers, and the ones that I'd used in the past weren't available, so I started going down the list. I saw that one and thought, 'Is that weird?' It's a good homage. Also, my grandfather isn't doing too well, and he has a #55 chain, so having a piece of him for this season (is cool)."
#71: Taylor Hall
"When I got traded to Boston, I had to pick a new number. Obviously, I couldn't have #4 (retired for Bobby Orr). I'd worn #9 previously, but it was just something different. I thought #71 looked fast. It's a slimming number. Something fresh, something new, something I've never done before. I think it fits me."
You've worn #4 a lot in your career. What's the association to that?
"When I was in youth hockey, I wore it, and that was unique for a forward. When I got to junior, I kept it. When I got to Edmonton, they just gave it to me. I didn't ask for it. The funny story is when I went to New Jersey. #4 was unavailable there because it's retired for Ken Daneyko. The GM called me and told me to think about my number. So, honestly, I just went out for a couple of beverages with my friends one night and we brainstormed. I thought #9 would be cool there."
#74: Jaccob Slavin
"They just gave it to me. I wore #7 growing up, and then when I got here, I think I wore something else for my first Development Camp, but somehow I wound up with #74 and I've just stuck with it."
#77: Mark Jankowski
"As a kid, I was always #14. It was kind of a family number. Then, when I got drafted by Calgary, #14 wasn't retired, but they weren't giving it out because of Theo Fleury. So they just gave me #77 for Development Camp. They said it was because 7+7=14, and they asked if I liked it. I said sure. I've had a few different numbers since, like, I got #14 in Pittsburgh, but then I came here and #77 was available."
#82: Jesperi Kotkaniemi
"When I got moved here, it was my best golf score."
Is that still your best score?
"Nope, I shot a 75 this summer."
So, the golf game is getting better?
"I played like (expletive) the whole summer, but the 75 came out of nowhere."
So, have you thought about changing your number now that it's no longer your best?
"Yeah, 82 is kind of a (expletive) number now that I think about it. I would take #31, but as long as Freddie's sticking around, I'm not getting that."
31? Really?
"I always wore #31. That's a really bad number, too, for a forward. But my dad had it when he played."
Was he a goalie?
"Nope. He was given it by a team and stuck with it. And growing up, he always told me it was a good number. I thought it was cool, so I always wore it. It's never available in the NHL, though. When I got drafted by Montreal, they asked me right there and then what number I wanted, and I said #31. As soon as I said it, I realized how dumb that was because Carey Price was #31."
(laughs)
