Not only will Connor McMichael be donning new colors next season, but he’ll also be rocking new digits.
On Wednesday, the St. Louis Blues announced that the former Washington Capitals forward will wear number 77 with the team moving forward.
The number is a major departure from the 24 McMichael wore with Washington and the numbers 14 and 15 he wore with the Hershey Bears. During his junior career, McMichael also wore number 11 with the London Knights and 91 with the Hamilton Bulldogs.
“No real reason that I wear 24 — it was just given to me,” McMichael told The Athletic about his number with the Capitals in 2021. “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.”
While no one currently wears number 91 for the Blues, the digits were famously rocked by star winger Vladimir Tarasenko from 2013 to 2023. The number may be off limits as the team considers retiring the Russian’s number. Vlad put up big numbers during his decade with the Blues, and currently sits fifth in franchise history in both goals (262) and points (553).
Intentional or not, McMichael going with number 77 does have both vague and deep connections to the Capitals.
TJ Oshie, a legendary player for the Blues, wore number 74 during his six years in St. Louis from 2009 through 2015 (the no. 74 has not been worn since there), but rocked 77 with the Capitals, winning a Stanley Cup with the team in 2018.
Oshie spent four seasons as McMichael’s teammate from 2020 through 2024, and the two have similar playing styles: hard-nosed, two-way players who can finish and dangle.
McMichael took his admiration of Oshie to another level as well, being one of the Capitals players who wore Oshie’s Warroad-branded undershirt and neck guards during games.
Beyond the Oshie connection, the most notable player to wear 77 with St. Louis was Pierre Turgeon from 1997 through 2001. Turgeon, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2023, was involved in one of the lowest moments in Capitals history while playing for the New York Islanders.
Dale Hunter decked Turgeon hard into the boards after the French Canadian picked off a pass from the then-Capitals captain and scored, putting the Islanders up 5-1 in Game 6 of the Patrick Division semifinals in the 1993 Stanley Cup Playoffs. With the series essentially over, Hunter took out Turgeon, giving him a concussion and separating his shoulder. Hunter was suspended 21 games by the NHL for the attack – the biggest suspension in league history at that time.
Hunter was notably McMichael’s head coach with the London Knights in junior.
The number 77 was also famously worn by Hockey Hall of Famer Adam Oates in Washington, who was both a notable player and a failed coach for the Capitals. Oates played from 1990 through 1992 with the Blues, but wore number 12 with them.
Other players to wear 77 in the past with St. Louis include Jay McKee (2008-2009), TJ Hensick (2011), Brad Hunt (2017), Niko Mikkola (2020-2023), Pierre-Olivier Joseph (2025), and Nick Bjugstad (2026).
McMichael landed in St. Louis as part of the trade that brought Jordan Kyrou to Washington. McMichael, a restricted free agent, then signed a six-year, $40.5 million contract with the Blues, which will pay him an average of $6.75 million annually.
The Blues, like the Capitals, have been busy revamping their team in the offseason after finishing fifth in the Central Division with 86 standings points and missing the playoffs last season.
Update, 8 pm: McMichael confirmed that he thought about Oshie before choosing the number during a guest appearance on Wednesday’s episode of The Cam & Strick Podcast.
“I remember when I told my brothers I was thinking of 77, they were like, ‘Well you can’t because of Osh,'” McMichael said. “And then I was like, ‘Oh, you’re right,’ and then I looked, and I forgot that he was 74 with the Blues and then had to switch with Carlson in DC. So I’m all in the clear for 77.”
He added that a part of the reason why he picked the number was that he wore 77 with Representative Hockey when he was really young.
“Growing up, I was number 91, but I know in St. Louis, with Tarasenko, I feel like that’s a number I want to stay clear of,” McMichael said. “I would love that. I just think for me personally, I just think it was just kind of weird, and then looking at more numbers I wore in the past, they all seemed to be taken. So, actually my first number I ever wore when I started playing Rep Hockey was 77. So, I think I might have to. I also like the double number, when it’s two sevens. I like the look of those. I think it looks pretty sweet.
“I think it’s going to look pretty good. I mean, the Blues jerseys, too, are pretty sweet. I like their colors.”
