42, 57, 54, 72, 63, 78; this is not the starting defensive lineup for the Buffalo Bills, it is a listing of numbers assigned to prospects in the Buffalo Sabres system.
A few of the numbers above now belong to regular roster players and this season has shed some light on even more quirky numbers (81 for Brayden McNabb) which have been assigned to Buffalo’s prospects. This is something that myself and Eric (from 3rd Man In) have both bemoaned simply because the players look ridiculous.
This certainly falls into the vain category regarding gripes about the Sabres, or hockey in general. Regardless, why do the Sabres’ prospects need to wear these ridiculous numbers? Buffalo isn’t the only team to do this. For example, Washington requires all goalies to have a number ending in zero. That is why Semyon Varlamov wore 40 for a couple of seasons before switching to 1 last year and it is why Brayden Holtby wears number 70.
I understand why teams want their players to “earn” their numbers. But it seems as if the Sabres are handing these kids some silly digits and not bringing up the option to switch until it is far too late. For example, Tyler Myers wore 3 in the WJC and in Kelowna, Luke Adam has worn 19 at nearly every level and Nathan Gerbe and Tyler Ennis didn’t wear 42 and 63 prior to arriving in Buffalo.
In the grand scheme of things this isn’t a big deal. But the fact of the matter is that these guys – and the team – look silly with these numbers on thier jerseys. What makes matters worse is once a player is past afull season in a particular number they are tied to it. By then people are buying jerseys and other apparel and there is no going back. It is perfectly understandable to assign a number to these guys for preseason play and their first handful of NHL games. Beyond that, the player should have a choice as to which number he wears.
Perhaps the best example is Luke Adam. Throughout junior – and the AHL – Adam wore 19. That is his number. Adam was assigned 72 for his first call up last year. Since he only played a handful of games last year, 72 was the proper number at that time. This year, he has earned a permanent spot on the roster, you would think he could choose his permanent number – in this case 19. Unfortunately, he will wear 72 for 82 more games and likely be stuck with that ludicrous numeral on his back, sleeves, chest and helmet (isn’t that amount of numbers silly?) for the foreseeable future.
The rule of thumb for the Sabres should be to assign numbers for a player’s first training camp and preseason. This will be their number for their initial call up until they have a permanent roster spot – or earn extended recalls. Once the player reaches that plateau they should be approached about changing to a more preferable number for the remainder of their career. It is a perfectly sound system that not only works through seniority but also rewards strong play. This way the Sabres won’t take the ice with numbers befit for an offensive line or a roller hockey team, while still making their youngsters earn their stripes.
Just like a promotion at work comes with more money, a promotion with the Sabres should come with a normal number.
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