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Are the Devils breaking an old tradition?


Daniel

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I see Camm wearing number 9 or maybe 25 or 21.  I agree with the people saying that the low jersey numbers is a Lou-like team first mentality and I love it personally.  It's taking this idea that no player is above the team.  Lou giving HOF'ers or proven players their traditionally favorite numbers is a consideration for those players.  Saying to them that you identify with this number and you've earned it.  Is that fair? Maybe not, but it's hard to argue that Mogilny. Jagr, and Richer didn't deserve to get their numbers with their careers they established. 

I like the current system, but I'll always agree that the front part of the jersey is a lot more important.  

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It's a stupid tradition anyway. They should let guys wear whatever available numbers there are.

Signed, a guy whose hockey number was 13 as a kid.

 

It could open up Pandora's Box a bit. If he lets Cammy wear the number he wants, why not let everyone else do the same.  He has to stay consistent.  Also, Cammy is an EMPLOYEE of the Devils.  Therefore he should wear what he is given, period. 

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Maybe I'm in the minority here and maybe it's because in just used to it, but I like the no high numbers thing. I think it goes along well with the team first philosophy.

 

how is it not team first to have numbers higher than 35 please explain. 

Edited by SterioDesign
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how is it not team first to have numbers higher than 35 please explain. 

 

Some see high numbers as a self-promotional, "look at me" entity, and that such numbers represent a "me-first" mentality.  I remember Ottawa some time ago deciding to do away with the big numbers temporarily in '98 (Alexandre Daigle had to swap his #91 jersey for a #9. Radek Bonk went from #76 to #14, Stan Neckar went from #94 to #24, etc), but they've since done away with that. 

 

I don't think there's a right or wrong, but I do like the fact that the Devils will allow the Jagrs, Mogilnys, Gilmours and Richers to wear the numbers that they're well-known for, and that the no-high number rule isn't fully set in stone.

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Ya i really don't get that. I think it's just something Lou doesn't like to do and it's still in his control.

Clearly it doesn't matter to plenty of other teams and they have no issues winning.

 

I don't know...Pitt with Crosby at 87 and Malkin at 71 have really stood out because of the numbers they wear and not the play on their ice. Same with Kane in Chicago or Carter in LA or Subban in MTL.

 

Numbers don't make players stand out. Their play on the ice does. And one of Lou's mantras is "our best players need to be our best players". Numbers don't make anyone above the team. But other things do, and even though Brodeur wore a lower number, his history, skill, reputation gave him the ability to do things that others have never been able to do with this team do...be it have opinions have that wouldn't fly if anyone else said it, or decide when he would be taking a night off in the past.

 

These aren't things I have an issue with by the way. But Lou's lame rules are getting old. I wonder what would happen if a player really felt it was important to wear #13. 

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But Lou's lame rules are getting old.

 

I think a lot of things are going to change once he retires.  I don't think a lot of his traditions will be carried on...I have nothing to base this on, just a gut feeling.  I think these owners have a great respect for Lou and will allow him to do things his way...as long as the team succeeds on the ice.  But I don't think he's going to get forever to build another winner, and I think once he either leaves voluntarily or is actually shown the door (with this ownership, I don't think he has an endless leash, in spite of the overall track record), there's going to be a lot of shake-ups.  I won't be surprised to see "modernized" uniform within a few years after he's gone, for starters.

 

 

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Fans care more about numbers than most players do imo.

 

I'm confused. You read multiple times a year about players paying 5 figures to get a jersey number from a new teammate after signing or being traded. A lot of athletes are superstitious, and the number they wear has meaning and is important to them.

 

As a fan, what is your interest level in what number a player wears other than making sure you are buying a jersey with the right number on it?

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Because those numbers are unnecessary. There's not more than 35 guys who will play for the team in a given year so why have numbers higher than that?

 

Many reasons, i'm not really 100% against it either. I just think it's annoying at time. Kind of ridiculous that we can remember some of our players going through like 3-4 differents numbers with the same team in only a few seasons or within the same season. I mean... If for a reason or another someone wants a Josefson jersey... well fvck what number are you getting? Then you have guys like our young D who has higher number but might switch number once someone else is gone. You get a game worn jersey and then that player ended playing most of his career with another number... etc etc

 

I get the whole "you play for the front logo" and all, its great and all (if you choose to pick that point of view). But from another point of view some can see it as "you're just an expendable asset to the team here, once you're out the next guy up is getting your number." Which is not a bad point of view either.

 

like i said i'm not against it but as a marketing point of view for jerseys and sh!t it's kind of annoying and restraining yourself for nothing really

 

plus as dumb as it can be, for some players their number is REALLY important. It followed them all their life and it may mean something really important to them and then you get to NJ and it's like. sorry buddy you can't have 40 you're 23 now, deal with it. I mean it's absolutely no big deal, they are professionals but at the same time, why being so strict if there's absolutely no possible negative to it? it's just another old school stubborn rule really

 

 

Edited by SterioDesign
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Many reasons, i'm not really 100% against it either. I just think it's annoying at time. Kind of ridiculous that we can remember some of our players going through like 3-4 differents numbers with the same team in only a few seasons or within the same season. I mean... If for a reason or another someone wants a Josefson jersey... well fvck what number are you getting? Then you have guys like our young D who has higher number but might switch number once someone else is gone. You get a game worn jersey and then that player ended playing most of his career with another number... etc etc

I get the whole "you play for the front logo" and all, its great and all (if you choose to pick that point of view). But from another point of view some can see it as "you're just an expendable asset to the team here, once you're out the next guy up is getting your number." Which is not a bad point of view either.

like i said i'm not against it but as a marketing point of view for jerseys and sh!t it's kind of annoying and restraining yourself for nothing really

plus as dumb as it can be, for some players their number is REALLY important. It followed them all their life and it may mean something really important to them and then you get to NJ and it's like. sorry buddy you can't have 40 you're 23 now, deal with it. I mean it's absolutely no big deal, they are professionals but at the same time, why being so strict if there's absolutely no possible negative to it? it's just another old school stubborn rule really

I don't think the devils themselves really obsess about the numbers thing. I think the ones with the biggest issue is with fans who want to have a jersey that is accurate to number that the player has.

I mean with josefson I doubt when either last season or the one before he was really bent out of shape when he briefly lost 16 to D'Agostini and he wore 9. He was probably just happy he was playing at this point instead of being scratched or sent down to albany. I think a lot of devils fans get bent out of shape when they get a jersey only for it to be inaccurate shortly after. However I always found people who take chances on getting jerseys made for players who aren't well established at all and at risk of being sent down or traded to be pretty foolish (game worns not included for obvious reasons).

Therefore I know there is going to be some sucker who will take the chance of buying that #13 cammy jersey because he doesn't know about the superstition with Lou or that they want to take the chance to be that hipster guy who has something before anyone else.

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Many reasons, i'm not really 100% against it either. I just think it's annoying at time. Kind of ridiculous that we can remember some of our players going through like 3-4 differents numbers with the same team in only a few seasons or within the same season. I mean... If for a reason or another someone wants a Josefson jersey... well fvck what number are you getting? Then you have guys like our young D who has higher number but might switch number once someone else is gone. You get a game worn jersey and then that player ended playing most of his career with another number... etc etc

 

I get the whole "you play for the front logo" and all, its great and all (if you choose to pick that point of view). But from another point of view some can see it as "you're just an expendable asset to the team here, once you're out the next guy up is getting your number." Which is not a bad point of view either.

 

like i said i'm not against it but as a marketing point of view for jerseys and sh!t it's kind of annoying and restraining yourself for nothing really

 

plus as dumb as it can be, for some players their number is REALLY important. It followed them all their life and it may mean something really important to them and then you get to NJ and it's like. sorry buddy you can't have 40 you're 23 now, deal with it. I mean it's absolutely no big deal, they are professionals but at the same time, why being so strict if there's absolutely no possible negative to it? it's just another old school stubborn rule really

 

Don't get jerseys of young players who haven't made the team permanently.  That's just a smart decision in general for any team.  And sometimes a guy will change his number - Zubrus changed from 16 to accomodate Holik, Fayne from 29 to accomodate Clowe, and so on.

 

As for veterans and numbers, I agree, it's really not a big deal, and certainly Lou has let plenty of guys have numbers higher than 30 - no one seems to count Steve Thomas here but he was allowed to keep that one, and Michael Ryder probably should've been allowed to keep 73.  Still, for rookies, it makes some sense that a young player has no control over that.

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I'm surprised Lou finds 13 unlucky considering he is an italian american. 

 

This^^^^

 

And Cammalleri being somewhat Italian (probably, far enough in his bloodline, considering his Italian last name), I always assumed it was a good luck number for him. Like you said, 13 is good luck in Italy.

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This^^^^

 

And Cammalleri being somewhat Italian (probably, far enough in his bloodline, considering his Italian last name), I always assumed it was a good luck number for him. Like you said, 13 is good luck in Italy.

 

According to the story, one of the old equipment managers had the #13 fear, and it just kind of was passed on in the organization. I don't think Lou has a fear of it as much as he's just upholding the tradition.

 

Personally, I just look at high numbers as one of the things we'll see that will make the next GM seem special. There will be good and bad when Lou moves on, and I really don't think he's going to be around too much longer, whether by his choice or ownerships.

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Don't get jerseys of young players who haven't made the team permanently.  That's just a smart decision in general for any team.  And sometimes a guy will change his number - Zubrus changed from 16 to accomodate Holik, Fayne from 29 to accomodate Clowe, and so on.

 

As for veterans and numbers, I agree, it's really not a big deal, and certainly Lou has let plenty of guys have numbers higher than 30 - no one seems to count Steve Thomas here but he was allowed to keep that one, and Michael Ryder probably should've been allowed to keep 73.  Still, for rookies, it makes some sense that a young player has no control over that.

 

Never made much out of Steve Thomas' 32 because you had guys like Zdeno Ciger and Reid Simpson wearing 33.  Pat Conacher wore 32 for a while too as a Devil (1988-92).  Bernie Nicholls wanted to wear 98 when he came here, but Lou told him no. 

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