No Magic Number, Just A ‘Fresh Start’ For Catton 

Kraken rookie Berkly Catton isn’t much into magic numbers but does have a belief in the power of positive psychology.

And a small part of Catton, 19, wonders whether switching back to his old No. 27 from his junior and youth hockey days isn’t playing a role in this month’s on-ice scoring bump. Catton has scored the first four goals of his NHL career in just a few weeks since re-acquiring his preferred number after previous wearer Mason Marchment was traded to Columbus.

“Honestly, a new number is almost like a fresh start,” Catton said. “And it was a new year, so a ‘fresh start’ was my mindset. Obviously, realistically it probably doesn’t make any difference. But maybe, psychologically it’s like having a fresh start. So, I think that part helped me a little bit.”

Catton scored his first two career goals Jan. 6 against Boston, then added singles in back-to-back games against Carolina and the New York Rangers on the team’s recently completed road trip.

He’d always worn No. 27 because April 27 was the birthday of his mother, Desrae, a schoolteacher back in his Saskatchewan hometown of Saskatoon.

“I think she actually picked it for me when I was young,” Catton said. “That’s kind of how it started and I always had it when I was growing up and obviously in Spokane.”

His mom chose the number in the Dundurn, Saskatchewan hometown of his father, Chris, where Berkly played when he was just 4 because Saskatoon wouldn’t take players younger than 5. Catton’s very first goal came that season – on his own net in a tournament game in the nearby town of Colonsay.

From there, the battle to keep No. 27 was always tough as Saskatoon numbers didn’t go that high at beginner levels and Catton later was always low on the number choosing pecking order due to being an underage player his second year at every level because of his January birthdate. Even in Spokane, the No. 27 was held by another player Catton’s first season – he wore No. 34 -- until he did get it and scored enough that he was guaranteed never to lose it.

But he wore No. 77 in Kraken training camp last September and continued to upon making the NHL roster because veteran Marchment already had No. 27 after an off-season trade brought him to the Kraken from Dallas.

“There weren’t a whole lot of options,” Catton said, adding he “liked the number 7” – already worn by Kraken captain Jordan Eberle – because of his mom, so he simply doubled up on that.

But Catton didn’t score his first 24 games wearing No. 77. And though he managed five assists, the drought began to wear on him. Kraken veterans tried to reassure him, telling stories of going through their own personal droughts.

But for a player who’d scored 127 regular season and playoff goals for the Spokane Chiefs in three-plus Western Hockey League campaigns, the inability to put a puck behind an NHL goalie was causing him to wonder.

“When you’re in a drought like that, you start to think the puck’s not going to go in when you shoot it,” he said. “You think it’s going to hit something while it’s on its way in and stay out.”

Catton had already pondered switching his number for next season with Marchment no longer around. But then Kraken general manager Jason Botterill “shocked” him on Dec. 30 by phoning to tell him it might be possible to do it right away. Catton had just returned from injury a few games prior and by New Year’s Eve – after some quick sewing work by equipment manager Jeff Camelio and his staff -- was donning No. 27 in practice ahead of wearing it for the first time in a game on Jan. 1 against Nashville.

His parents were thrilled when he phoned them with the news.

“They were pumped,” Catton said. “I think they were as confused as I was when I told them I could do it this year. Obviously, they know it’s my favorite number and stuff. My mom was very excited because of her birthday and stuff, too. But the whole family was pumped.”

Catton’s mother agreed.

“Of course I was thrilled about it,” she said. “It was my number playing sports growing up and it’s my birthday number.”

While not the NHL norm, number changes do occasionally occur in-season and usually after a trade. Botterill confirmed the Kraken needed to obtain league permission ahead of the switch.

Catton wore the No. 27 through three additional goal-less January games before breaking the longest scoring personal drought he can ever remember having in organized hockey in his 28th contest. He insists he’s “not at all superstitious” and figures the flurry of goals since was just a matter of sticking with the right process and waiting for a break.

Kraken head coach Lane Lambert agreed.

“I’ve said a few times now that once he scores, he’ll score a few,” Lambert said after Catton notched a pair in the Boston game.

Lambert went on to praise the work Catton kept putting in despite the lack of goals to show for it.

“He’s a well-liked teammate,” Lambert said. “He works. He’s learning. He’s growing. And I’ve said it many, many times. I love the way he wants the puck.”

Catton, a longtime centerman, has found his biggest scoring success as a winger on a line with Jared McCann and Shane Wright. That trio formed last month after McCann worked back into the lineup following a long stretch of injury absences.

“He’s had a bunch of chances the last couple of games,” McCann said after Catton finally scored. “So, just stick with it, stay positive and eventually it’s going to come in waves.”

Catton agreed that just seeing a puck finally go behind a goalie again made him confident the next time he took a shot against Boston that night. And in subsequent shots taken in games since as he works to broaden his game off that platform of scoring success.

“Honestly, in my brain, just knowing it was possible really helped me,” Catton said. “For a while it was frustrating for sure but getting that first one and feeling the confidence after that it was going to go in when I shoot it made a big difference.”