- Connor McMichael will wear No. 77 for the St. Louis Blues next season
- The number belonged to TJ Oshie in Washington, McMichael’s teammate and a 2018 Cup winner
- Read below for the backstory on the switch and the Oshie connection
Connor McMichael is trading his Capitals red for Blue Note gold, and he picked a number with some history behind it.
St. Louis announced Wednesday that McMichael will wear No. 77 next season. Anyone who watched him in Washington knows exactly whose number that used to be.
TJ Oshie wore 77 with the Capitals and won a Stanley Cup in it back in 2018. He also happened to be McMichael’s teammate for four seasons, from 2020 through 2024.
The two played a similar brand of hockey. Both are hard-nosed, two-way forwards who can finish around the net and dangle when they need to. McMichael even wore Oshie’s Warroad undershirt during his time in D.C., so the admiration was already there.
The 77 is a big departure from the 24 McMichael wore in Washington. He also skated in 14 and 15 with the Hershey Bears, and 11 and 91 during his junior days with London and Hamilton.
McMichael talked about his number a few years back and admitted 24 was never really his call, per RMNB:
“No real reason that I wear 24, it was just given to me. If I could choose, I’d probably pick 91. I’ve worn that everywhere else because I was a big (Steven) Stamkos fan growing up.”
That door is closed in St. Louis. Vladimir Tarasenko wore 91 for a decade and sits fifth in franchise history in goals, so the Blues may end up hanging it in the rafters someday.
So McMichael landed on a number with meaning of its own. He put up 46 points in Washington last season and signed a six-year deal with the Blues earlier this month to avoid arbitration.
Read more on McMichael’s six-year deal with the Blues and what he brings to a retooled St. Louis roster.
