The Hidden Stories Behind Penguins Players' Jersey Numbers Revealed

Each jersey number has a story behind it, and for the Pittsburgh Penguins, some have more than others. When the 'Post-Gazette' inquired with each player how he came to his present number, responses varied from poignant to outright random.

Some selected for family or sentiment, some simply took what the equipment man had available. And then there is Sidney Crosby.

Crosby's No. 87 is now legendary, even stitched onto his $8.7 million deals. The number goes back to his youth in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, when his father, Troy, saw Sid's birthday, Aug. 7, 1987, and said 87 should be his number.

Family connections also pop up elsewhere. Erik Karlsson's No. 65 is dedicated to his parents, both of whom were born in 1965. Rickard Rakell maintained 67 from his Anaheim rookie game as a tribute to his dad's birthday.

Matt Dumba sports 24 for the memory of his "auntie," a Broncos devotee who was a massive Champ Bailey supporter, and for the tribute to Kobe Bryant.

Some used a more straightforward method. Parker Wotherspoon uses only double numbers, 28, because it looks more appealing with his extremely long last name.

Filip Hallander went back to his childhood number after using 36 in a pointless fashion. Evgeni Malkin used to like 11, his child number, but changed to 71, because "it looks like 11."

Others, such as Connor Clifton (75) and Blake Lizotte (46), retained their initial number assigned to them to avoid their families from purchasing new jerseys. Connor Dewar (19) and Tommy Novak (18) simply wore whatever they had.

While numerology is of no interest to most Penguins, Crosby's 87 is the exception: a crossroads of destiny, heritage, and legacy. Call it superstition or symbol, but the fact is this: nobody in hockey has ever worn 87 as well as Crosby.