BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Sabres have seven numbers hanging in the rafters as of this writing. In January, Ryan Miller’s No. 30 will be retired and get a banner alongside Tim Horton’s No. two, Rick Martin’s No. seven, Gilbert Perreault’s No. 11, Rene Robert’s No. 14, Pat Lafontaine’s No. 16, Danny Gare’s No. 18 and Dominik Hasek’s No. 39.
Advertisement
With those numbers off the table, the Sabres’ current roster still has plenty to pick from when deciding which digits will end up on the back of their jersey. Some players stick with whatever number they’re assigned while others have put some thought into what they pick.
From Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s No. 1 to Alex Tuch’s 89, here are the stories of why each Sabres player has the number he does.
1: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
They just gave that to the goalie when I started to play. And I remember (Roberto) Luongo, he had it. I really liked him growing up. So I was like I might as well stick with it. I kind of always played with whatever they gave to me but then I realized I just like the one. I really like it because nobody else wears it other than goalies.
10: Henri Jokiharju
My dad used to play with No. 10 and my brother as well. It started with my dad, so that was it.
17: Tyson Jost
I was family friends with Scott Hartnell and he wore 17. He was one of the people I knew that was in the NHL at the time. He was with the Predators. I looked up to him and had that in mind when I was six or seven picking numbers and we had to draw out of a hat. It just so happened I got 17, so I stuck with it ever since. Scott played a role in that for sure. It’s cool when you’re that young. His sister is my mom’s best friend, so that’s how we know him.
Scott Hartnell. (Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images Studios / Getty Images)19: Peyton Krebs
It’s my grad year and NHL Draft year 2019. Also, one of my favorite players was Jonathan Toews. When I was in peewee I wore 12 because of Jarome Iginla. I wore a few different numbers because I didn’t get to pick. Then ever since bantam I wore 19. (In minor) 19 was taken so I wore 26 because my birthday is January 26. In Vegas, I wore 18 for one year because Reilly Smith is 19. I actually have 19 tattoos on my arm.
20. Lawrence Pilut
I had it starting off my pro career in Sweden, so that’s just something that I stuck with. There’s no real reason. I feel comfortable with the number and it feels good wearing it. I wore 27 growing up and then 20 when I turned pro. I just like the way it looks.
Advertisement
21. Kyle Okposo
Well, I got to the Island and I had a choice between 12 and 21. Peter Forsberg was my favorite player growing up so the choice was pretty easy. I was 9 in college and eight all growing up. I don’t really know why I wore eight. It was just kind of my number. When I was at Shattuck, nine was the number that went from Ben Eaves to Zach Parise to Sidney Crosby to Jonathan Toews right in a row. You always kind of wanted that number and then I wore that in college.
22. Jack Quinn
I got it in minor hockey. I just stuck with it ever since. That’s really the only reason. They just assigned it to me when I was a kid.
I’ve worn it for a while. I wore it a lot growing up and then wore it whenever I can. In the program in your first year, you can’t wear low numbers and stuff. The reasoning is my dad wore it when he won the cup. That’s probably the main reason. He wore it in Pittsburgh. He was 28 most of his career but he went to Pittsburgh and somebody had it, so he wore 23 and that’s what he won in. I’ve always liked it. I thought it was a good number. A lot of legends wore it in other sports. At Western Michigan, the guy in the class above me was 23. I was pretty pissed. I didn’t choose my number there. I just showed up and it was 24. My first year (in Buffalo) I got called up at the end of the year and I was 54. That was just given to me. I didn’t choose that one.
24. Dylan Cozens
When I got called up to the WHL at 15 years old that was the number they gave me. So I stuck with it. That’s all there is to it. I didn’t really have much of a choice to switch it. Growing up my favorite number was usually 18. I don’t think there was anything behind it. I just liked it.
25. Owen Power
My original one that I always wore was 22 and that was taken. I feel like 25 is a family number. Both of my siblings wear it. I wore it a little bit when I was younger, but that’s why I went back to it. A bunch of people in my family have worn it. I have a huge family and there’s probably 10, 11 or 12 people that have worn it.
Advertisement
26. Rasmus Dahlin
I got it when I was 16, and I had a good year. So I just kept it.
I was given it. Nothing behind it. I think it was Paul Gaustad’s number before that. Before, I was 23 in junior. I think I took that one but I really don’t know why. I was nine in juniors when I first came over. I had 94 when I was a little kid. That was my birth year. But yeah, I was given my number and never really thought to change. As a first year, back in the day at least, I didn’t really have the option to choose. I liked it and it stuck around. Now I love it.
My son’s birthday is February 9, (so) 29. Before that I was 13. My sister’s birthday is February 13.
31. Eric Comrie
Because one was taken. I’ve always been number one except for here. It’s the most classic goalie number. My whole career since I was eight years old I was always one.
The year I came here there were so many numbers taken I didn’t really have that many choices. I actually just asked my friends, we just voted. There was no real apparent reason. Since I’ve had it I’ve liked it, so I stuck with it. The other options were bad. It was like 27, 38 and 41 or something. I came the year before we drafted Rasmus, so there were like 30-something guys on the roster. I had 21, but that was taken. I always wore 11, but there was no chance of getting that one.
41. Craig Anderson
I had 31 to start my career because of Grant Fuhr. I really liked him as a kid. When I went to Colorado, 31 was taken, so I had to come up with a new number and 41 looked the best on the jersey.
45. Casey Fitzgerald
They picked it. I was going to change this year, but I didn’t know how to go about it. I was supposed to reach out and ask them. I was waiting for someone to ask if I wanted to change. So I kind of got stuck with it. I would have switched to five. That was my number in Rochester and at BC. I’ve always liked it. I wore 58 for a little bit. I wore it at the program because I like Kris Letang. In college, you only have the low numbers so it was five. When I was younger in AAA I did have four and then it was five when I got to high school and college. So I guess 45 kind of works, but it’s just pure accident. They picked it for me. I was a little late to change, so I have the lineman number again this year. It adds some toughness, a little grit. It’s a gritty number.
Advertisement
46. Ilya Lyubushkin
Oh, that’s easy! My birthday is April 6. The month is four and the day is six.
53. Jeff Skinner
I wore 23 growing up my whole life in mite hockey. Then when I got to junior it was taken by an older guy and I just got 53 because it kind of looks like it I guess. That was my first year of junior and then I just kept it. I had a decent year my first year in junior and just kept it. My mom gave me 23 when I was probably six years old because I reminded her of Eddie Shack who played here and on the Leafs. I guess when I was little I was always waving to her in the crowd and she thought I was being a character. That’s how I got 23.
71. Victor Olofsson
I always liked it. Growing up I always wore 11, but whenever I couldn’t have 11 I always wanted 71. It’s nothing more special than that. 11 was the first number I ever had. I used it since I was like seven.
72. Tage Thompson
I liked Evgeni Malkin growing up and he was 71. And I wore 29 in college, so I was going to wear 92 when I came here, but Nylander was wearing it. So I thought I liked 71 (taken by Olofsson), so I’ll wear 72. There’s no real true reason. I just kind of like the way it looks. I’ve always liked the high numbers. I like the high numbers and the way the seven looks.
74. Rasmus Asplund
My mom was born in the 70s and my grandma the 40s. That’s the reason behind it. They’re a big part of everything and why I’m standing here today. I was 16 in the junior program. I was 26 my first pro year. I asked if I could choose my own number and they let me do it, so since then it’s been 74.
77. JJ Peterka
I kind of like always liked it just how it looks. When you put a mirror down there it says JJ which is kind of nice. That’s kind of how I got there. I was wearing 10 for juniors and then I switched to 33. When I was younger I played with the older guys and that was just the number they gave me. I kind of liked it so I kept it. Then when I turned pro, a goalie had the number so I had to switch and went with 77.
78. Jacob Bryson
It’s kind of a lame story. I was always 18 my whole life. Then it’s retired here for Danny Gare. (So) 78 was my development camp number. I started with 73 and then it was 78 the next year I came. I just stuck with it. I guess 18 and 78 are kind of similar, so I stuck with it. I never changed it. I’ve only ever worn 18. My birthday is November 18.
Advertisement
89. Alex Tuch
It’s actually not for Alexander Mogilny. Mogilny was before my time. He was in the 90s. The reason is actually when I was playing on my first hockey team, this was the biggest jersey they had. I was six. It was a random spring team from Montreal. I liked the number. I said I’m going to wear it the next year because I didn’t have a specific number, so it became 89 and I wore it all growing up. I am the first (since Mogilny to wear 89 in Buffalo). I made sure to ask permission first.
(Photo: Derek Cain / Getty Images)
ncG1vNJzZmismJqutbTLnquim16YvK57knJsamlpbnxzfJFrZmppX2h9cL%2FAm6meq12fsrO%2FxLJkp62dl7Kzv4ylrK6jm6S7prqMraycoF8%3D