Pierre-Luc Dubois Reveals the Heartbreaking Reason He Changed His Number
Published September 24, 2023 at 1:02 PM
BY JAMES CONNELLY
BY JAMES CONNELLY
Dubois' Number Change Reason
Pierre-Luc Dubois has worn three numbers throughout his NHL career, 18, 13, and 80.
18 was his number for the first years of his career in Columbus and is a common number for forwards to wear. 13 was what he wore when he first got to Winnipeg and is also a common forward number that is worn on almost every team and if not, it's likely retired.
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He made the change from 13 to 80 last year which originally confused fans as 80 is an unorthodox number and is not commonly worn in the NHL. However, Dubois recently spoke out on why he made this change and it is absolutely heartbreaking.
For Matiss, who passed away in Columbus. You know, I was there for his first game, first win. That game at MSG was unbelievable. He was outstanding. You felt like he was going to be a good goalie in this league. And, you know, when he passed away, I remember I went for dinner with one of the trainers and I told him, I'd like to wear number 80, and he was like, we'll do it.
Just text your equipment guy in Winnipeg and ask him. I asked the family first if I could. I didn't know if that was something that they wanted to kind of retire, and they said, that would be great. He'd be happy. And how I saw it was I wanted to keep his legacy going because his career got cut short.
Absolutely. Yeah. When I imagined in my head it was, if I ever win the Stanley Cup, it'll be my last name, but it'll be his number. And that's kind of what made me decide that I wanted to have number 80.
Just text your equipment guy in Winnipeg and ask him. I asked the family first if I could. I didn't know if that was something that they wanted to kind of retire, and they said, that would be great. He'd be happy. And how I saw it was I wanted to keep his legacy going because his career got cut short.
Absolutely. Yeah. When I imagined in my head it was, if I ever win the Stanley Cup, it'll be my last name, but it'll be his number. And that's kind of what made me decide that I wanted to have number 80.
A Wonderful Gesture
The loss of Matiss Kivlenieks rocked the hockey world when it happened in 2021 and everybody has been grieving differently. Kivlenieks reportedly saved Elvis Merzļikins' life when he made the ultimate sacrifice.
If Dubois were to ever win the cup, there would be a memory dedicated to Kivlenieks and the memory of him.
A stand-up move by Dubois dedicated to one of the most noble men in all of hockey.
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