Buffalo Sabres center Josh Norris made teammate Zach Benson an offer he couldn’t refuse.
Benson, who wore No. 9 throughout his first two NHL campaigns, has allowed Norris, who sported No. 13 in his first three outings with the Sabres before a torn oblique muscle ended his season, to take the digit. Benson will now be wearing No. 6.
“Nine’s just been a number that I’ve liked and worn for a lot of my career,” Norris said in a video the Sabres posted Thursday on social media. “I made him an offer and he was nice enough to accept it.”
Norris, who arrived March 7 in a trade with the Ottawa Senators, did not reveal details of their agreement.
Update: The Sabres have announced anyone with a No. 9 Benson jersey can bring it to the Sabres Store in KeyBank Center and have the name plate changed to “Norris” for free or receive a 30 percent discount on a No. 6 Benson jersey.
This marks at least the third time Norris has switched to No. 9. He began his career at the University of Michigan wearing No. 14 before changing numbers. He also sported No. 37 as a rookie with the Senators switching in 2020-21.
The Sabres on Thursday also announced center Noah Ostlund has switched from No. 36 to 86.
In addition, they revealed the numbers their offseason acquisitions have chosen. Defenseman Michael Kesserling will be wearing No. 8, forward Justin Danforth No. 15, defenseman Conor Timmins No. 21, defenseman Zac Jones No. 28, goalie Alex Lyon No. 34 and winger Josh Doan No. 91.