In their second big move this offseason, the Washington Capitals landed Alex Tuch in an $84 million sign-and-trade deal with the Buffalo Sabres.
Tuch, who wore jersey number 89 in Buffalo, has decided to continue wearing that number with his new team.
Tuch has worn jersey number 89 for the past nine seasons, first with the Vegas Golden Knights during the 2017-18 campaign. He stuck with the digits when he joined Buffalo in 2021. Previously, he wore 53 with the Minnesota Wild and 17 for their AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild, in the 2016-17 season.
The 30-year-old winger also sported jersey number 12 during his collegiate career at Boston College, wore number 17 for Team USA at the World Juniors, and later 89 when he represented Team USA at the 2023 World Championship.
He told The Athletic in 2022 that he wears number 89 because that was the largest jersey his team had when he first began playing hockey, and he liked the number and decided to stick with it. He specified that it was not because of Alexander Mogilny, the Sabres legend who sported 89, although he was the first to wear the number in Buffalo since Mogilny, and he asked permission before taking it.
Tuch will become just the second Capitals player ever to don jersey number 89, joining defenseman Tyler Sloan (2009-11).
