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    Ryan Gagne
    Jul 17, 2024, 21:45

    Which numbers will the new Pittsburgh Penguins players be sporting on opening night?

    The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired five new players via trades or free agency, meaning fans will have new gear to collect in the fall.

    Here's a breakdown of which player wears which digits on opening night.

    Kevin Hayes No. 13

    Kevin Hayes came to the Penguins via a trade (for a second-round pick) from the St. Louis Blues, where he spent the 2023-24 season wearing No. 12. 

    In Pittsburgh, the 10-year veteran will don No. 13, the third time he's worn this number in his career, including his stops with the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers. 

    Hayes will be the ninth player to wear No. 13, following Vinnie Hinostroza, who wore it for 14 games last season.

    Anthony Beauvillier No. 72

    Anthony Beauvillier was a free agent signing and is returning to his roots with his Penguins number choice, No. 72. As a rookie with the New York Islanders, he wore those digits before switching to No. 18.

    After a trade to the Vancouver Canucks, Beauvillier claimed the numbers again but opted for different sweaters during his stints with the Chicago Blackhawks (No. 91) and Nashville Predators (No. 21).

    He'll be the fifth Penguins player to wear No. 72, following two-time Stanley Cup champion Patric Hornqvist, who wore it from 2015 to 2020. 

    Blake Lizotte No. 46

    Blake Lizotte has worn only one number throughout his six-year NHL career and will continue to wear it with the Penguins. 

    Since his debut in 2018-19, Lizotte skated in Nov. 46 with the Los Angeles Kings and will become the only sixth skater in Pittsburgh to wear the digits. 

    Zach Aston-Reese was the most recent player, sporting the number from 2018 to 2020.

    Sebastian Aho No. 25

    Sebastian Aho played the first five years of his career with the New York Islanders and has already worn five different sweater numbers, including Nos. 28, 44, 38, and 25. 

    As one of the newest defensemen on the team, Aho will wear No. 25 for the Penguins, becoming the 19th player to do so in black and gold.

    The latest player was Ryan Poehling in 2023, while the number may always be associated with two-time Stanley Cup winner and 50-goal scorer Kevin Stevens. 

    Matt Grzelcyk No. 24

    Just like Lizotte, Matt Grzelcyk played his entire career with one organization, his hometown Boston Bruins, where he wore No. 48.

    Considering that Valtteri Puustinen currently wears that number for the Penguins, Grzelcyk opted to go with No. 24, which is half his former digits.

    On opening night, he'll become the 27th player to wear the sweater in Penguins history, most recently by Ty Smith in 2023. Some more familiar names associated with No. 24 include Matt Cooke, Ian Moran, and Troy Loney.