Canadiens Cole Caufield's jersey number change isn't allowed: Gary Bettman steps in

The change from number 22 to 13 for Cole Caufield was inspired by a good friend's recently unfortunate death due to an accident, in which brothers Matthew Gaudreau and Johnny Gaudreau were murdered by a drunk driver.

The NHL initially banned Cole Caufield from making the jersey change so close to the start of the season. Gary Bettman surprisingly came to the rescue.

Can anyone guess why the league made an exception where Gary Bettman himself had to approve Cole Caufield's number change because it happened during a time when jersey number changes aren't usually allowed? Even though the NHL has a rule against switching numbers so close to the season start, they made an exception for Caufield as a sign of respect for Johnny Gaudreau. They did, however, emphasize that they're not fans of such last-minute changes and are likely hoping no other players attempt to do the same.

Kudos to the NHL for the flexibility! In this case, it would have been very unfortunate to strictly enforce the rules.

Fans of the Habs are definitely looking forward to seeing Cole Caufield rocking number 13 at the Bell Centre this season.

Source: Habs Fanatics
The change of Cole Caufield's jersey number was prohibited, Gary Bettman had to respond