Garnet Exelby never really was a fan of No. 3 anyway.
So when incoming stud defenceman Dion Phaneuf wanted to keep the number he has worn through most of his career, Exelby obliged.
"Future considerations, that's the deal," Exelby said Monday when asked what it took for Phaneuf to procure his favourite digit.
"I understand what it's like to have a number quite a while ... I had No. 2 my whole career till I got here. No. 3 was just a number and if it means something more to someone else, that's fine."
So if he's in the lineup tonight, Exelby will be wearing No. 7. Forward Fredrik Sjostrom, who came here from Calgary along with Phaneuf, will have No. 11 on his back while starting goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere will be No. 20 in the program, 15 less than his jersey number in Anaheim.
