A number is just a number, but when it comes one that is on the back of a professional athlete, it takes on more significance.
Irvine “Ace” Bailey’s #6 is one of the two retired Toronto Maple Leafs numbers, but the Hall of Famer asked Ron Ellis to wear the number beginning in the 1969 season.
Frank Mahovlich and Darryl Sittler both wore #27 through the Toronto portion of their Hall of Fame careers, but their number was given players of low standing Miroslav Ihnacak, Lucien Deblois, John Kordic and Dave Semenko after they were traded.
The Leafs organization has showed more deference to prominent numbers in recent years.
No one has worn #17 since Wendel Clark retired in 2000, the last time #93 appeared was 2003 at the Calgary Saddledome, when Doug Gilmour returned to Toronto after being acquired from the Montreal Canadiens.
Mahovlich and Sittler’s #27 has not been seen since Michael Peca wore it in 2007, Mats Sundin is the last to wear #13 in 2008 and the trade of Matt Stajan to Calgary in the 2010 deal signaled the end of anyone wearing Dave Keon’s #14.
This trend could be put to the test this month with the preferences of prominent prospects Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews.
Marner wears #93 with the OHL London Knights and commented last September that he would consider it an honor to be given the same number as Gilmour.
“Obviously (Gilmour) wore that number. It’s a great number. He represents everything in Toronto well.” Marner said to
the Globe and Mail’s James Mirtle . “Whatever number they give me I’ll be happy with.”
Toronto gave Marner #84 during the rookie tournament and first training camp last September and the 19-year-old forward, he wore it at the development camp in July and will be wearing the same number when he puts on the Blue and White later this month in London, but that may not mean anything about what number he gets to wear if he makes the Leafs.
2014 top pick William Nylander wore #62 throughout his tenure with the AHL Toronto Marlies and during the pre-season with the Leafs, but when called up to the NHL in late February, the 20-year-old was given #39.
Matthews preferred number is #34, which he wore with Team USA at the 2016 IIHF World Junior in January, for the ZSC Lions in Switzerland last season and at the World Hockey Championships in Russia.
“His dad wore 34 in baseball,” former coach Marc Crawford said to the
Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby last April, but at the rookie development camp in Niagara Falls earlier this summer, the Leafs assigned Matthews #63.
The rosters for the upcoming World Cup of Hockey were revealed on Thursday, with Matthews assigned
#34 for Team North America.
There is no historical roadblock to Matthews wearing his favorite number, since the most prominent wearers of #34 are Bryan Berard, Jamie Macoun and goalie James Reimer(who wore it the last six seasons). If Leafs management is using jersey numbers as a way to prevent players from getting a sense of entitlement, they may deny their young building blocks the number they want.
It will be one of many things to watch over the next few weeks.
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