And now for one of the most important topics of the offseason: critiquing the numbers the new players have chosen to wear for the Pens next season
Usually by now the Penguins have officially released an announcement on the jersey numbers of their new players acquired over the summer (kinda makes ya wonder if another big move or two is coming to bring in some new players, huh?) but that hasn’t been the case yet. Based on listings on their website, let’s go ahead with summer’s most important and correct article to rank the new numbers.
#6 – Connor Clifton (75)
A theory that makes no sense but also all the sense in the world is that to wear a number in the 70’s, a player should be at least 6’4”. It’s a standout number and you have to look the part (exception that proves the rule, Patric Hornqvist. Playing big also apparently counts). Clifton at 5’11” and 195 can’t this pull off. This is the only number Clifton has ever worn in the NHL, but it also messes things up during events like opening night where they announce the team and have someone in the order coming between No. 71 and 87. There’s get-arounds to that but it’s just not as neat and tidy as it could be.
#5 – Alexander Alexeyev (56)
Trifling number on its own, although he joins fellow Russian defender Sergei Zubov as the rare No. 56 in Pens’ history (Eric Tangradi was the only other player to use 56, and that was as an assigned, temporary one while breaking in). It’s a shame he’s not wearing a duplicate number since Alex Alexeyev is a partially repeating name, — though wearing No. 44, 55 or 77 in Pittsburgh probably wouldn’t go so well to measure up to as a defender.
#4 – Parker Wotherspoon (28)
This is a pretty standard modern day defenseman number, the problem here is it brings up a “hey, that’s some other guy’s number!” connotation to Marcus Pettersson and even further back to the Cup days of Ian Cole. Then again, Wotherspoon is coming off wearing No. 29 in Boston the past two seasons and he definitely can’t do that in Pittsburgh without creating another problem…(And while some clamor for the fun and honor of an official jersey retirement ceremony and banner to commemorate it, it’s pretty cool on its own that it’s been almost a decade of no Penguins wearing No. 29 since Marc-Andre Fleury departed. An unofficial retirement is almost as cool as an official one, lest you turn around a couple of years later and see a forgettable player like Ville Nieminen wearing Ron Francis’s #10..)
#3 – Matt Dumba (24)
Dumba wore No. 3 in Dallas, which would have been cool to see the rare single-digit these days for the Pens, but he’s apparently gone back to the number he used when he had the most success in Minnesota from 2015-23. Ideally the Pens will be hoping Dumba can turn back the clock with his old number. Look good, feel good, play good, right? Right? Yeah it probably isn’t going to work like that.
#2 – Anthony Mantha (39)
This is the odd number that has been used in Penguin history by both goalies (Brad Thiessen, and the very recent Alex Nedeljkovic) as well as skaters (J.S Dea, David Perron, Luca Caputi and Jon Sim, among others). Mantha’s always been a #39 in every stop of his five-team NHL career, pretty cool and unique number that he’s carved out for himself.
#1 – Justin Brazeau (16)
Jason Zucker spoiled the party, but No 16 in the last 15 years in Pittsburgh has been attached to big, increasingly slower, right handed forwards (Brandon Sutter, Eric Fehr). Brazeau will fit right in! 16 is a classic hockey number, traditional and nice. It fits a fourth line mentality to get it, do the job and keep it moving without being a big time number; which makes it perfect for Brazeau.