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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →NHL players can choose from many jersey numbers, but not literally any number. League rules limit the number format, No. 99 is retired across the NHL, and a player’s club may already have a number in use or retired. Players change numbers when they join a team, when a preferred number becomes available, or for personal reasons.
What jersey numbers are NHL players allowed to wear?
Rule 9.2 of the NHL Official Rules for 2025–26 requires each player listed in the lineup to wear an individual identifying number at least 10 inches high on the back of the sweater. It expressly rules out formats including 00, ½, .05 and 101. The rule sets format limits; it does not mean every otherwise valid number is available to every player.
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There are also league-wide restrictions distinct from a team’s own retired numbers:
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minute- No. 0 and No. 00: NHL.com reports that the league stopped allowing these numbers beginning in the 1996–97 season because they confused its digital database. Neil Sheehy and Martin Biron were the last players to wear those formats, according to the league’s account.
- No. 99: Wayne Gretzky’s number was retired league-wide at the NHL’s 50th All-Star Game in 2000. A league-wide retirement applies across clubs; a team retirement applies only to that club.
Those restrictions do not make every famous number unavailable throughout the league. The NHL.com history of Joshua Ho-Sang wearing No. 66, for example, notes that it had not been retired league-wide.
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Why can’t a player always get the number they want?
A number may already be worn by a teammate, or the club may have retired it. The league’s formal number rules do not establish a universal club-by-club allocation order. Teams can handle requests differently, including coordinating with a current wearer.
The Seattle Kraken’s account of its initial roster-number choices describes games played as one factor in the selection process and says a change could be arranged with a current wearer. That is an example of one club’s approach, not a league-wide procedure. Mario Lemieux, discussing Joshua Ho-Sang’s choice of No. 66, put player preference this way: “Players can choose whatever number they want.” His comment captures the freedom players may have in practice, within league restrictions and team availability—not an unlimited right to any number.
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Why do NHL players change jersey numbers?
They join a new team
A player may move to a club where his familiar number is taken or retired, so he chooses another. A 2023 New Jersey Devils feature describes number availability as a reason for changes and gives Timo Meier as an example: after arriving from San Jose, he changed from No. 96 to No. 28.
A preferred number becomes available
Players sometimes start with a different number and switch when circumstances change. The Minnesota Wild’s account says Charlie Coyle wore No. 63 after arriving through the AHL, then moved to No. 3 when it became clear he would make the NHL roster out of training camp.
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The number has personal or family meaning
A number may honor a parent, relative or role model, or simply matter to the player for personal reasons. Player interviews and team features from the Devils and Wild give examples of these individual motivations. There is no single reason behind every switch.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can an NHL player change numbers during a season?
The cited examples establish that players change numbers, but they do not establish a universal league-wide in-season process or deadline. The NHL Official Rules cited here are the 2025–26 edition; a 2026–27 rulebook was not verified in the available sources. So it is safest not to assume that a particular in-season change is always permitted, or that every team follows the same procedure.
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