Sweater numbers are synonymous with players. Most hockey fans can instantly tell you a great player by the number they wear on their back. There are many different stories about how players became associated with the famous numbers. Many odd and interesting facts surround these numbers as well. As we count down the start of the 2023-24 NHL season, we take a look at the story behind the numbers. Today we continue with sweater number 84. Keep up to date with the series everyday until the start of the 2023-24 NHL season.
Behind the Sweater Number: 84
The First 84
There isn’t much history behind sweater number 84. Only 15 players that have donned the number according the Hockey Reference. The first player to wear the number was Guillaume Latendresse of the Montreal Candadiens. This happened in the 2006-07 when he scored a respectable 16 goals in 80 games.
Usually numbers have an elaborate backstory or some hidden meaning. However, that wasn’t the case for the Habs’ second-round pick in the 2005 NHL Draft. Latendresse said in Scott Morrison’s book By the Numbers that he was just assigned the number and went with it. He wore 22 when he played major junior with Drummondville. The Ste-Catherine, Quebec native totaled 48 goals in parts of four seasons with the Canadiens. However, Latendresse would get sent to the Minnesota Wild in the 2009-10 season and would switch to 84. He’d don number 73 in final season with the Ottawa Senators in 2012-13.
The Top 84
Latendresse wasn’t the lone player to wear sweater number 84 for long. Belorussian centre Mikhail Grabovski first wore the number in 2008-09 when he joined the Toronto Maple Leafs. Grabovski had worn 54 and 56 in parts of two seasons with the Canadiens. However, Grabovski took off with the Leafs scoring 20 goals in his first season.
His best year with the club was 2010-11 when he netted 29 goals with Toronto. Then NHL.com deputy managing editor Brian Compton described Grabovski as a “really solid two-way centre before injuries derailed his career.” Grabovski would have stints with the New York Islanders and Washington Capitals, but never replicate his early production.
The reasoning for Grabovski wearing 84 isn’t completely known. However, he was born on January 31, 1984 and his birth year may be the reason that he took the number.
The Future of 84
There aren’t a lot of players that are currently wearing sweater number 84 as of now. However, Los Angeles Kings defenceman Vladislav Gavrikov will take 84 after signing a new deal with the club. Tampa Bay Lightning forward Tanner Jeannot had a 20-goal season with the Nashville Predators and has donned the number his entire career. Linus Hogberg wore the number for five games with the Philadelphia Flyers last season.
Olli Juolevi and William Lagesson also had the number in the most recent season. Sweater number 84 may have a relatively short history. However, a new player could come of the season and make the number his own.
Main photo by: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
