Number change: Cole Caufield gets an exemption

Cole Caufield’s change of number raises a number of questions. The most popular are often related to money.

There are two sides to this. Does Cole Caufield have to pay to change his number? More importantly, will fans who already own a #22 jersey be able to trade it in for a #13 at no charge?

For the second, we’ll have to wait a little longer, but I dare to believe that those who have a #22 will see the Habs organize something so that fans don’t have to reach into their pockets.

But for the player, it’s not necessarily the same situation.

Because the NHL has many jerseys for sale with the players’ numbers on the back, the guys are liable if they change numbers too late in the off-season. After all, stores need the right jerseys in a timely fashion.

In the NHL, if a player doesn’t miss the deadline to change his number, he doesn’t have to pay a fee. But if he does, he has to pay a fee to organize the process.

And as RDS’s Alexandre Tourigny tells us, Cole Caufield missed the deadline when he chose to change his number. However, the NHL made an exception.