New Preds, New Numbers

What's in a number?
Sometimes, there is a deep meaning to the digits chosen by a professional athlete. In other instances, it was what the equipment manager had available.
Regardless, a hockey player has to sport one. Those who signed contracts with the Predators this past offseason - Dan Hamhuis, Rocco Grimaldi, Jarred Tinordi, Zac Rinaldo, Colin Blackwell and Connor Brickley - have made their selections.

Be on the lookout for the fresh numerals when the Preds take to the ice for training camp later this week, and enjoy a brief history lesson below.
Colin Blackwell - 42
Connor Brickley - 56
Rocco Grimaldi - 23
Dan Hamhuis - 5
Zac Rinaldo - 36
Jarred Tinordi - 24
Hamhuis becomes the 10th player to sport No. 5 in Preds franchise history, joining Jan Vopat, Andy Delmore, Tomas Kloucek, Brad Bombardir, Greg Zanon, Blake Geoffrion, Michael Del Zotto, Barret Jackman and Adam Pardy (
making No. 5 the second-most worn number in franchise history
). Hamhuis wore No. 2 during his first stint in Nashville.
Grimaldi's No. 23 has been worn by Blair Atcheynum, Bill Houlder, Jamie Allison, Martin Gelinas, Brian McGrattan, Zach Boychuk and Trevor Smith.
Tinordi is the seventh to wear 24, joining Scott Walker, Brandon Bochenski, Ben Guite, Matt Halischuk, Eric Nystrom and Brad Hunt.
Rinaldo becomes the sixth to sport No. 36, along with J.J. Daigneault, Niklas Andersson, Sean Haggerty, Robert Schnabel and Peter Olvecky.
Blackwell has plenty of company with No. 42, including Joel Bouchard, Pavel Skrbek, Robert Schnabel, Andrew Hutchinson, Jerred Smithson, Mikko Lehtonen, Antti Pihlstrom and Mattias Ekholm.
Finally, Brickley will the fourth to don 56, joining Kris Beech, Taylor Beck and Kevin Fiala.