Cole Caufield reportedly receives special permission from NHL to switch his jersey number to #13

Montreal Canadiens forward Cole Caufield will honor Johnny Gaudreau by changing his jersey number from 22 to 13. The NHL gave Caufield special permission to make the switch, a rare exception since the deadline had passed. This change is a tribute to Gaudreau, who inspired Caufield throughout his career.

Hockey Jerseyz shared the news on X (formerly Twitter), explaining that Caufield was not required to buy out the remaining stock of his #22 jerseys.

"According to @AlexTourignyRDS, Cole Caufield won’t need to buy all the remaining inventory of jerseys with #22 (like the NFL) and the deadline to switch his number had passed but the #NHL granted him special permission to change it to #13," Hockey Jerseyz wrote on X.

Caufield, who stands at 5-foot-8 and 175 pounds, shared a bond with Gaudreau due to their similar size. On Instagram, Caufield spoke about how Gaudreau influenced his journey in hockey. He recalled being teammates with Gaudreau at the 2024 World Championship, a dream come true for Caufield. He remembered Gaudreau as a welcoming and genuine person.

Caufield wore #13 earlier in his career because of Gaudreau. Now, he will wear it again to honor him after Johnny Gaudreau's tragic death in an accident last month. He expressed gratitude for Gaudreau’s role in proving that smaller players can thrive in the NHL.

"He paved the way for smaller players and proved we had a future in this game at the highest level. I will forever be grateful to him for inspiring me and others," Caufield wrote.

In his tribute, Cole Caufield also extended condolences to Gaudreau’s family, including his wife and children. He acknowledged how Gaudreau positively impacted lives on and off the ice.

Expectations from Cole Caufield's upcoming season with Canadiens

Cole Caufield is entering his third season with coach Martin St. Louis for the Montreal Canadiens. Caufield made a big impression during the Canadiens' 2021 playoff run with 12 points in 20 games. Under St. Louis, Caufield has scored 81 goals and 68 assists in 205 games.

In the 2021-22 season, he scored 23 goals in 67 games. The next season, he improved to 26 goals in 46 games. Last season, Caufield played all 82 games and scored 28 goals. Fans are hoping he can reach 30 or even 40 goals.

His chemistry with linemates Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovský has improved. If Caufield continues scoring at his best rate and stays healthy, he could potentially reach 40 plus goals this season. This would be a huge boost for the Canadiens.