{"id":543994,"date":"2026-04-06T16:24:24","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T16:24:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/543994\/"},"modified":"2026-04-06T16:24:24","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T16:24:24","slug":"why-do-the-flames-wear-the-jersey-numbers-that-they-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/543994\/","title":{"rendered":"Why do the Flames wear the jersey numbers that they do?"},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes to the game of hockey, many players become synonymous with particular jersey numbers. Who else\u2019s mind goes right to Jarome Iginla when thinking of #12, or to Lanny McDonald when thinking about #9?<\/p>\n

But number assignments can be super weird and random. Some numbers are very personally meaningful to players, paying tribute to heroes or other important figures. And some are just randomly-assigned camp numbers that they hold onto.<\/p>\n

So here\u2019s a snapshot of the current Flames roster and \u2013 based a combination of research and interviews \u2013 why they wear the numbers that they do.<\/p>\n

Goaltenders<\/p>\n

1 \u2013 Devin Cooley [G]<\/p>\n

Cooley has worn #1 during most of his career stops dating back to his time with Springfield of the NAHL. Since then, he\u2019s worn it with University of Denver (NCAA) in two of three seasons, Florida (ECHL), Rochester (AHL), Milwaukee (AHL), Calgary (AHL) and San Jose (AHL). He\u2019s worn other numbers on occasion, but he keeps coming back to #1.<\/p>\n

32 \u2013 Dustin Wolf [G]<\/p>\n

Wolf grew up in California and was a big Los Angeles Kings\/Jonathan Quick fan, so #32 seems to be the number he gravitates towards. He wore it in Everett (WHL), Stockton (AHL) and Calgary (AHL).<\/p>\n

Defencemen<\/p>\n

3 \u2013 Olli Maatta [D]<\/p>\n

7 \u2013 Kevin Bahl [D]<\/p>\n

Bahl wore #88 in junior, in the AHL while in New Jersey\u2019s system and with the Devils. Andrew Mangiapane was traded to Washington the same summer the Flames acquired Bahl, so we suspect #88 was probably available had Bahl wanted it, but he evidently opted for a more traditional, low number.<\/p>\n

19 \u2013 Zayne Parekh [D]<\/p>\n

Parekh wore #19 with the GTHL\u2019s Markham Majors and the OHL\u2019s Saginaw Spirit. He was given #89 as a training camp number, but he switched to #19 when he made the Flames out of training camp.<\/p>\n

24 \u2013 Jake Bean [D]<\/p>\n

Bean wore #2 during major junior and during his first season with the AHL\u2019s Charlotte Checkers. However, Gustav Forsling got #2 in Bean\u2019s second season in the AHL, and Bean switched to #24. He\u2019s essentially stuck with that number ever since, though he wore #22 during his three seasons in Columbus.<\/p>\n

28 \u2013 Zach Whitecloud [D]<\/p>\n

Whitecloud wore #32 in college at Bemidji State and with the AHL\u2019s Chicago Wolves. He wore #2 during his time in Vegas. With neither of those numbers available in Calgary, he got another number<\/a>.<\/p>\n

37 \u2013 Yan Kuznetsov [D]<\/p>\n

Kuznetsov wore #5 in the USHL with Sioux Falls and #2 both in college at the University of Connecticut and in the QMJHL with Saint John. He was given #37 as a training camp number and has kept it so far, including during his entire time in the AHL.<\/p>\n

44 \u2013 Joel Hanley [D]<\/p>\n

Hanley\u2019s late brother, Jordon, wore #44 when he played<\/a>. Hanley\u2019s worn #44 quite often: during four seasons in college at the University of Massachusetts, one season with AHL Tucson, and during his last four seasons with the Dallas Stars. (He wore #4 during two seasons with AHL Texas.)<\/p>\n

48 \u2013 Hunter Brzustewicz [D]<\/p>\n

Brzustewicz wore #4 during his second season with the U.S. National Development Program and during both seasons with the OHL\u2019s Kitchener Rangers. He was given #48 as a training camp number by the Flames.<\/p>\n

94 \u2013 Brayden Pachal [D]<\/p>\n

Pachal wore #94 both with Vegas and their AHL club, the Henderson Silver Knights and it followed him to Calgary.<\/p>\n

Forwards<\/p>\n

10 \u2013 Jonathan Huberdeau [F]<\/p>\n

Huberdeau wore #11 in junior with Saint John and during his whole run in Florida. He switched to #10 after arriving in Calgary because Mikael Backlund had #11.<\/p>\n

11 \u2013 Mikael Backlund [F]<\/p>\n

Backlund wore #60 with the Flames originally. He had #11 during his first AHL season with the Abbotsford Heat (2009-10), then switched to #12 the following season \u2013 veteran AHLer Quintin Laing joined the team as captain and got #11. That same season, Backlund\u2019s NHL number got shuffled from #60 to #11. According to The Athletic\u2019s Julian McKenzie<\/a>, then-coach Darryl Sutter\u2019s rationale for giving Backlund #11 was it would make him look taller.<\/p>\n

16 \u2013 Morgan Frost [F]<\/p>\n

Frost wore #16 during his four seasons with the OHL\u2019s Soo Greyhounds. When he joined the Flyers in 2019-20, he was assigned #48 (as Bobby Clarke\u2019s old #16 was retired by the organization). He returned to his OHL number when he moved to Calgary.<\/p>\n

17 \u2013 Yegor Sharangovich [F]<\/p>\n

Sharangovich wore #17 on his way up through hockey in Belarus and, aside from a season in the KHL with Dynamo Minsk (wearing #87) and one season with AHL Binghamton (#22), he\u2019s worn it everywhere he\u2019s gone.<\/p>\n

18 \u2013 John Beecher [F]<\/p>\n

Beecher wore #17 at prep school, at the U.S. National Development Program and during three seasons with the University of Michigan. With Nick Foligno wearing #17 with the Bruins when Beecher went pro, he switched to #19, which he wore with both the Bruins and AHL Providence. When he was claimed by Calgary off waivers, #19 was taken, so he got a slightly different number.<\/p>\n

20 \u2013 Blake Coleman [F]<\/p>\n

Coleman wore #25 during junior and college. He was given #40 in his first season with New Jersey (2016-17), but swapped to #20 the following season (2017-18) and continued to use that number in New Jersey, Tampa Bay and Calgary.<\/p>\n

22 \u2013 Ryan Strome [F]<\/p>\n

27 \u2013 Matt Coronato [F]<\/p>\n

Coronato wore #27 with USHL Chicago, but moved to #19 when he was with Harvard \u2013 teammate Austin Wong already had it before Coronato arrived. Coronato wore #39 initially with the Flames, but swapped to #27 in 2023-24.<\/p>\n

29 \u2013 Samuel Honzek [F]<\/p>\n

Honzek wore #29 on his way up through Slovak hockey, and wore it again with the WHL\u2019s Vancouver Giants. He was initially assigned #42 by the Flames, but switched to #29 this season.<\/p>\n

36 \u2013 Aydar Suniev [F]<\/p>\n

Suniev wore #19 with the BCHL\u2019s Penticton Vees and #16 with the University of Massachusetts. He was initially assigned #84 by the Flames, but he swapped to #36 when he signed his entry-level deal and joined the NHL club late last season.<\/p>\n

39 \u2013 Tyson Gross [F]<\/p>\n

Gross wore #13 during his three seasons with the NCAA\u2019s St. Cloud State University. That number is likely permanently unavailable, so he ended up with a multiple of that digit.<\/p>\n

43 \u2013 Adam Klapka [F]<\/p>\n

Klapka usually wore #15 on his way up, both in Czech hockey and during parts of two seasons with the USHL\u2019s Tri-City Storm. When he joined the Flames organization he was given a pretty standard forward training camp number and has stuck with it.<\/p>\n

47 \u2013 Connor Zary [F]<\/p>\n

Zary wore #18 with the WHL\u2019s Kamloops Blazers. He was assigned #47 as a training camp number and has stuck with it.<\/p>\n

70 \u2013 Ryan Lomberg [F]<\/p>\n

Lomberg has been no stranger to odd, high numbers during his career. He wore #56 during his first run with the Flames organization, then switched to #94 in Florida. When he returned to Calgary, he moved to #70. It seems quite random.<\/p>\n

76 \u2013 Martin Pospisil [F]<\/p>\n

Pospisil\u2019s training camp number years ago when he joined the Flames organization was #76, and he hasn\u2019t changed it since.<\/p>\n

86 \u2013 Joel Farabee [F]<\/p>\n

Farabee usually wore #28 at lower levels, notably in his second season at the U.S. National Development Program\u00a0and Boston University. When he arrived in Philadelphia in 2019-20, though, Claude Giroux had #28, so Farabee was given #49 instead. (He wore #28 with AHL Lehigh Valley, though.) He was switched to #86 in 2020-21, and he\u2019s kept that number in the NHL ever since.<\/p>\n

92 \u2013 Matvei Gridin [F]<\/p>\n

Gridin is a big fan of Russian star Evgeny Kuznetsov, who wore #92. So whenever Gridin\u2019s had the opportunity to wear #92, he\u2019s done so \u2013 like in his second season with the USHL\u2019s Muskegon Lumberjacks and his lone season with the QMJHL\u2019s Shawinigan Cataractes. His training camp number with the Flames was #51, but he switched to #92 in October when he made the NHL roster.<\/p>\n

95 \u2013 Victor Olofsson [F]<\/p>\n

Olofsson wore #95 in Vegas and Colorado, and bounced between #71, #68 and #41 during his run in Buffalo. He was born in 1995, so that seems to be the major connection here.<\/p>\n

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