Blues New Number Decisions Are Another Sign This Era Feels Different

Explore how the St. Louis Blues' latest jersey number assignments reflect both historical legacy and fresh beginnings as the team gears up for their milestone season.

The St. Louis Blues’ newest arrivals are bringing a fresh batch of sweater numbers with them, and the list is a mix of familiar franchise history and some rarer choices. After the offseason move that sent star RW Jordan Kyrou to the Washington Capitals in exchange for Connor McMichael, the Blues’ incoming players now have their numbers set for the upcoming season: 25, 49, 77 and 83.

No. 25 has been one of the busier numbers in franchise history, and Brandon Carlo is the latest to take it on. Kyrou was the most recent Blue to wear it, but before him Chris Butler had it from 2015 to 2019, appearing in 58 games over five seasons and finishing with 4 goals and 7 assists for 11 points.

Carlo becomes the 30th player to wear 25 for St. Louis.

He inherits a number with a big offensive benchmark attached to it: Chuck Lefley, who wore 25 for five seasons from 1974 to 1981, put up 43 goals and 42 assists for 85 points in 1975/76, a franchise single-season record at the time. That mark held until Brett Hull’s 86-goal explosion in 1990/91.

Ross Johnston is the new No. 49, a number that has only been worn by four Blues players before him. Johnston joins St.

Louis after signing in free agency from Anaheim, where he spent three seasons, and this will be the third stop of his career after seven seasons with the Islanders from 2015 to 2023. The standard for 49 in Blues history is Ivan Barbashev, who spent seven years in St.

Louis and produced 78 goals and 100 assists for 178 points in 410 games. Since being traded to Vegas during the 2022/23 season, Barbashev has added 71 goals and 102 assists for 173 points in 257 games.

Connor McMichael will wear No. 77, a number that has been used by seven players in franchise history. Nick Bjugstad and Pierre Olivier Joseph were the most recent Blues to wear it, and Pierre Turgeon remains the name most closely tied to the sweater.

Turgeon played five seasons in St. Louis from 1996 to 2001, and his best year came in 2000/01, when he posted 30 goals and 52 assists for 82 points in 79 games.

Over his Blues tenure, he totaled 134 goals and 221 assists for 355 points in 327 games.

Mason McTavish will make No. 83 a first for the Blues. No player in franchise history has worn it before, and it will also be a new number for McTavish, who previously wore 23 and then 37 with Anaheim.

Those numbers were already taken in St. Louis by Logan Mailloux and Jack Finley, leaving 83 as the option.

It is one of 12 numbers that have never been worn by a Blues player, along with 60, 66, 67, 69, 84, 85, 87, and 94 through 98.

The Blues are set to enter their 60th anniversary season this October, even though they actually began play 59 seasons ago.

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