I've always been interested in why anyone chooses a certain jersey number, or puts it all on 29 for that matter. I think it's as much a part of a player's identity on the ice as any part of their hockey skill set. Hell, maybe even off the ice. I mean, they do sign things with their name and their number. Do people get comfortable with a certain number because they're a fat kid and along with the XXL jersey comes the number 34? Do they choose a number because their favorite player used to wear it? Do some of them not care at all?
Over time the acceptance of high numbers on hockey jerseys has become less of a offense to traditionalists. A player like Alexander Mogilny wearing 89, or Jagr wearing 68 surely raised a couple eyebrows in the 90's, and certainly earned a couple "who's that guy think he is?" But ceremonies which have honored the past (Ray Bourque) while simultaneously resulting in a very high doubled up number have softened the transition for them. Also as the years have passed, and especially since rookie camps and tournaments have become more prevalent, the need to put some of these kids in what seem to be ridiculous numbers has presented itself. And hockey players are as superstitious as humans come generally, so it's no wonder NHL rosters have almost every imaginable number between 50 and 98 on them.
This year the Flyers have one player with a single digit number - Braydon Coburn (unless of course it got punched off him on Tuesday night). Yes, 3 single digit numbers have been retired and Randy Jones' 6 is still warm, but 2, 3, 8, and 9 are great numbers. During the Flyers inaugural season every single digit number was worn. So were all the numbers between 10 and 20 except 13, for an obvious reason - Daniel Carcillo would have gotten born early and Car Bombed them. The highest number used that season was 30, by Bernie Parent. On this season's opening night roster the Flyers have 8 of 23 players wearing numbers higher than 30. They then have 7 players between 30 and 21, and also 7 between 20 and 10. And then just Coburn in single digits.
The Flyers have managed to maintain some modicum of respect when it comes to weird hockey numbers namely do to the desire of their young talent to take more traditional jersey numbers. Luca Sbisa was an example of what generally happens when a young kid makes the roster these days when he stayed with his rookie number of 47. Claude Giroux (28) and Rabbit (21) have opted for more traditional numbers. I wonder how those conversations go and who they occur with. Is each youngster allowed to pick their number out of every available one or are some just handed one.
Either way, I don't really have a problem with any number as long as it's scoring goals or bashing the opposition. I just like to imagine a World War II vet pulling out his Kalishnikov and shooting the place up if the 1970 Flyers had come out with a 32, 33, 36, 44, 45, 48, 55, and 77.