Should Mattias Janmark change his number?
As the the NHL continues to mourn the loss of Johnny Gaudreau, an intriguing conversation has emerged regarding players wearing the number 13.
As sign of respect, many hockey fans around the league are urging NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to retire the #13 universally around the league . With that being said, who currently wears the number 13 in the NHL today?
Anaheim Ducks - Robby Fabbri
Boston Bruins - Charlie Coyle
Edmonton Oilers - Mattias Janmark
Florida Panthers - Sam Reinhart
Minnesota Wild - Yakov Trenin
Montreal Canadiens - Cole Caufield
New Jersey Devils - Nico Hischier
New York Islanders - Mathew Barzal
New York Rangers - Alexis Lafreniere
Pittsburgh Penguins - Kevin Hayes
Seattle Kraken - Brandon Tanev
St. Louis Blues - Alexey Toropchenko
Tampa Bay Lightning - Cam Atkinson
Winnipeg Jets - Gabriel Vilardi
As per the hockey news, As an inspiring player for a younger generation of American-born hockey players, the NHL will miss Johnny's presence ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Only Montreal Canadiens' Cole Caufield has requested to change his number from No. 22 to No. 13 to honor his favorite player, joining a small group of current NHLers who already wear the digits.
In Pittsburgh, newly acquired Kevin Hayes will wear No. 13, becoming only the eighth skater in franchise history to wear the sweater after Vinnie Hinostroza in 2024.
Often considered an unlucky number, No. 13 has been successful for many professional athletes, including Alex Rodriguez (MLB), Walt Chamberlain (NBA), and Kurt Warner (NFL). Now, No. 13 in the NHL will forever be associated with a talented star gone too soon.
Many Hockey fans are urging players around the league to change their number 13 to a different one in respect for the late Johnny Gaudreau. Although many players have changed their number to 13 like Cole Caufield to honour Johnny, some see it as a sign of disrespect.
What do you think? Should the NHL retire the number 13?
