After Johnny Gaudreau’s recent passing, Montreal Canadiens forward Cole Caufield asked permission to change his sweater number from 22 to 13.
The NHL has rules about changing jersey numbers, especially so close to the start of the season, since they are already committed to producing merchandise for specific players. However, given the circumstances of the request, they allowed the change.
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Considering the Canadiens have been around for over a century, many players have worn No. 13 despite the stigma surrounding the digits, as 13 is considered unlucky.
Although there are no definitive records regarding who wore No. 13 for Montreal from 1917 to 1950, according to data available at Hockey Reference, the sweater rarely saw game action until the 21st century.
Here are the seven players who’ve worn No. 13 with the Canadiens since jersey records began 74 years ago.
Alex Tanguay (2009)
Alex Tanguay played 16 years in the NHL, skating with five franchises, including 50 games with the Canadiens in 2008-09. During his brief stint with the Original Six franchise, he scored 16 goals and 41 points to finish fifth in team scoring.
Although unofficial, yet somehow official, Tanguary became the first player to wear No. 13 in the modern era.
Mike Cammalleri (2010-2012)
Mike Cammalleri was another veteran player who played in the NHL for 15 years, dressing for five teams, including Montreal, from 2010 to 2012. As of 2024, he’s logged the most minutes in No. 13 with 170 games.
Cammalleri scored 26 goals and 50 points in his first campaign in Quebec, followed by 19 tallies and 47 points in his second year, each time finishing within the top three in team scoring.
Mike Brown (2016)
Mike Brown played 407 games in the NHL from 2007 to 2016, last appearing with the Canadiens. Out of the six teams he skated with, he played 14 times in Montreal. He collected a goal and an assist with 27 penalty minutes in limited playing time.
Alexander Semin (2016)
Alexander Semin was a big-name free agent signing in the summer of 2016, having previously been a one-time 40-goal scorer and a seven-time 20-goal scorer with the Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes.
Related: Montreal Canadiens With 100 Point Seasons
However, things didn’t pan out for Semin in Montreal. The Russian forward scored a single goal and three helpers for four points in 15 games. Instead of continuing his NHL career, he returned to his home country to play out his professional days in the KHL.
Max Domi (2019-2020)
Outside of Cammalleri, there’s an argument to be made that Max Domi is one of the more memorable skaters to wear No. 13 in Montreal. He tallied 45 goals and 116 points in 153 games during his two seasons in Quebec.
Ahead of the upcoming season, Domi’s best campaign remains his first year with the Canadiens, where he scored a career-high 28 goals and 72 points to finish plus-20. He led the team in goals, assists, and points.
Cédric Paquette (2022)
Cédric Paquette finished his NHL career wearing a Canadiens sweater. The one-time Stanley Cup champion dressed for 24 games during the 2021-22 season and picked up two assists. Even though he also skated with the Laval Rocket then, Paquette opted to move to the KHL the following season, a place he’s still skating in 2024-25.
Mitchell Stephens (2024)
Mitchell Stephens is the last player to wear No. 13. He wore the number for 24 games during the 2023-24 season, scoring two goals and three points. Stephens joined the Seattle Kraken on a two-year, two-way deal during the offseason.
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