- Leon Draisaitl is number 29 on the Edmonton Oilers
- Why does he wear the unusual jersey number?
- His favourite childhood player in Germany wore 29
You don't see the jersey number 29 too much in the NHL. Some goalies like the number, but a rare skater who wears it is: Leon Draisaitl. The Edmonton Oilers star has worn 29 since junior hockey, and he has a cool reason for wearing it.
Leon Draisaitl wears 29 just like his favourite player as a kid
Leon Draisaitl was born in Germany, and his father Peter Draisaitl was also a hockey player and coach. Growing up, Leon Draisaitl admired a player on the team his father coached, the Ravensburg Tower Stars.
That player was Ben Thomson and he wore 29. A young Leon Draisaitl skated with his father's team in Germany, and Thomson mentored Draisaitl, according to NHL.com. In tribute, Draisaitl wore 29 in junior with the WHL's Prince Albert Raiders.
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In Draisaitl's rookie camp with the Edmonton Oilers, a veteran actually wore 29 ahead of him, but he was able to switch from 55 to 29 after the player was sent to the minors.
And it's safe to say 29 will remain Leon Draisaitl's. The Hart and Art Ross Trophy winner is a perennial top scorer in the NHL today.
A few other popular NHLers who wear the jersey number 29 are Nathan MacKinnon and Marc-Andre Fleury.
