Brett Howden made the team and then changed his number.
One of the slight surprises of the Rangers training camp was the 20-year-old Howden cracking the opening night roster, and soon thereafter he switched from No. 48 to No. 21. It was his number all during his junior days, and now he gets to wear it as he takes the ice on Broadway for the regular-season opener Thursday night against the Predators.
“When I made the team they asked me what number I wanted,” Howden said after Tuesday morning’s practice in Westchester. “Twenty-one is my number. Normally when you get to camp, they give you a number.