Inside new Rangers sweater numbers, including J.T. Miller reclaiming No. 10

Be truthful, that No. 8 on J.T. Miller’s sweater looked kind of strange the past season and a half since the New York Rangers reacquired him in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 31, 2025. It was more Jacob Trouba, who had it from 2020-24, or even Marek Malik, another defenseman who wore No. 8 from 2006-08, than Miller.

But Miller’s preferred No. 10 was unavailable, because star forward Artemi Panarin had it since signing with the Rangers in the summer of 2020. It wasn’t an issue for Miller, who wore those digits during his first run with the Rangers and then with the Tampa Bay Lightning, after they acquired him in a trade from the Blueshirts in February of 2018, but had No. 9 with the Canucks.

Now that Panarin’s gone Hollywood, traded to the Los Angeles Kings in February, Miller exercised his right to reclaim No. 10. He’ll wear that familiar number again beginning next season, part of several number assignments announced by the Rangers this week.

Miller wore No. 10 for the better part of five seasons previously in New York. However, it’s not the only number he wore on his Blueshirt. As a rookie in the lockout-shortened 2013 season, Miller had No. 47, his development camp-issued sweater number. Even though he was a first-round pick (No. 15 overall) in the 2011 draft, Miller didn’t have enough sway to take No. 10 away from high-scoring star wing Marian Gaborik.

His preferred number became available when the Rangers traded Gaborik to the Columbus Blue Jackets in April of 2013.

Some really good players wore No. 10 in Rangers history, including Panarin and Gaborik. Ron Duguay, Pierre LaRouche, and Hockey Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur are in that group. Esa Tikkanen wore it when the Rangers won the Stanley Cup in 1994.

Now, it once again belongs to Miller, though this time there’ll be a captain’s “C” affixed to the front of it. Counting Miller once, 23 players wore No. 10 in Rangers history.

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Here are the other new number assignments for the Rangers in 2026-27. This list doesn’t include rookie Alberts Smits, who signed his entry-level contract Wednesday but did not publicly receive his sweater number yet.

Sean Durzi – 5

Sean Durzi wore No. 50 throughout his NHL career with the Kings, Arizona Coyotes, and Utah Mammoth. But those are currently Will Cuylle’s digits here in New York. So, Durzi, a defenseman acquired July 1 from Utah in the Vincent Trocheck trade, will wear No. 5, one that’s been issued 30 other times in Rangers history and last worn by defenseman Urho Vaakanainen in 2015. He switched to No. 18 last season.

Notable Rangers to wear No. 5: defensemen Dan Girardi, Barry Beck, Ulf Samuelsson, and Carol Vadnais; forwards Matt Cullen and Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion.

Pavel Dorofeyev – 16

By trading Trocheck, the Rangers cleared the deck for Pavel Dorofeyev to wear No. 16, as he did with the Vegas Golden Knights before they traded the talented 25-year-old to the Blueshirts this offseason. Why mess with a good thing — Dorofeyev led the Golden Knights with 37 goals last season and 35 in 2024-25. He’ll be the 44th different player to don the number with the Rangers, including Andy Bathgate and Rod Gilbert early in their careers before wearing their more familiar No. 9 (Bathgate) and No. 7 (Gilbert).

Notable Rangers to wear No. 16: Trocheck, Bathgate, Gilbert; forwards Derick Brassard, Sean Avery, Brian Noonan (1994 Stanley Cup champion), Pat LaFontaine, Mark Pavelich, and Marcel Dionne.

Marcus Pettersson – 26

Marcus Pettersson landed new digits, after the 30-year-old defenseman was acquired in a trade with the Canucks on July 1. He’ll wear No. 26 for the first time in the NHL, the 28th Rangers player to do so. He wore No. 29 with the Canucks, and had No. 28 playing seven seasons for Mike Sullivan in Pittsburgh with the Penguins.

Notable Rangers to wear No. 26: defenseman Dave Maloney; forwards Martin St. Louis, Joe Kocur (1994 Stanley Cup champion), and Martin Rucinsky.

Oliver Bjorkstrand — 28

After wearing No. 22 with the Tampa Bay Lightning last season and Seattle Kraken before that, Oliver Bjorkstrand is back to No. 28. He wore that number for his first seven NHL seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets, and will do so again after signing a one-year, $4.5 million contract in free agency with the Rangers this summer. Bjorkstrand will be the 29th Rangers player to wear No. 28.

Notable Rangers to wear No. 28: forwards Steve Larmer (1994 Stanley Cup champion), Dominic Moore, Tie Domi, Colton Orr, and Tomas Sandstrom.

Joonas Korpisalo — 70

It’s probably safe to say that Joonas Korpisalo never had to fight anyone for the No. 70. The 32-year-old goalie acquired from the Boston Bruins, has never worn another number since arriving in the NHL with the Blue Jackets in 2015 — also wearing No. 70 with the Kings, Ottawa Senators, and Bruins. He’ll be the third to do so in Rangers history.

Notable Rangers to wear No. 70: goalies Louis Domingue, Mackenzie Skapski.

Joe Veleno — 90

Like Korpisalo, center Joe Veleno gets to stay the course on Broadway with his preferred digits. The 26-year-old, signed as a free agent July 1, gets No. 90 with the Rangers, just as he did previously with the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, and Montreal Canadiens. He’s the fifth players in Rangers history get No. 90.

Notable Rangers to wear No. 90: goalie Alexandar Georgiev; forward Vladislav Namestnikov; defenseman Victor Mancini.

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