DEVILS BY NUMBERS

Posted on 19 August 2012

The numbers of the Devils

The new additions to the Cardiff Devils roster have chosen their playing numbers for the coming 2012/13 season with 3 numbers being issued for the first time.

Wearing #60, big shot defenseman Jamie Milam retains the number he wore for the CHL Presidents Cup Champions, Fort Wayne Komets. Milam has previously worn the #6 jersey that is occupied by Devils’ local speedster Ben Davies. #60 has not previously been used by any Devils player.

With Phil Hill occupying the #25 that Tyson Marsh wore during the his Junior and previous 5 seasons, Marsh has reverted to the #22 jersey that he wore during spells with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL and Columbia inferno of ECHL. Previous occupants of #22 for the Devils include Chris Frank and Ivan Matulik.

With his preferred #9 jersey retired in honour of Devils founder John Lawless, Scotsman Bari McKenzie has adapted this and will wear #90 which, like Bari, makes its Devils debut this season.

Mac Faulkner will wear #11, the number he wore when captaining Clarkson University in the NCAA and last wore during appearances with Reading and Columbia in the ECHL. In more recent times Faulkner has worn the retired #9 jersey and the #10 jersey associated with local-born, Devils record appearance holder Jason Stone. #11 has previously been issued by the Devils for numerous players including NHL legend Doug Smail and more recently Sam Smith.

Despite wearing #12 for the majority of his career, Chris Blight has opted for #57 for the forth-coming season. What is the significance of 57? Chris wanted to mark his playing time in the UK in honour of a British-born family member. This will be the first time #57 has been used by Blight or indeed any other Devils player.

Tough winger Devin Didiomete (pronounced Dee-Dee-O-Mee-Tee) wears the #24 shirt familiar with former Devils hardmen Mike McWilliam and Paul Heavey. Didiomete wore #24 throughout his Junior career with Sudbury Wolves and Sarnia Sting and during numerous appearances in the AHL with Hartford and Connecticut.

Returning net-minder Phil Osaer wears his familiar #39 whilst net-minding partner Joe Myers reverts to the #15 jersey he wore in his first spell with the Devils and famously worn by his hero Jeff Smith in that Wembley play-off winning penalty shoot-out.

It's going to be an exciting season, so lets all make a huge effort and get as many people down as possible on the 29th August to show all our new guys the infamous atmosphere of the BIG BLUE TENT....it's going to be noisy we think!!!