NHL Star Trades Rolex to Mascot for Jersey Number

Professional athletes often swap gifts with teammates to claim their preferred jersey numbers, but Artemi Panarin just proved mascots deserve the same respect.

The veteran hockey winger recently joined the Los Angeles Kings and wanted to wear number 72, the digits he sported when he started his NHL career with the Chicago Blackhawks. But Bailey, the Kings' beloved mascot, had already claimed the number for a wonderfully Los Angeles reason: because it's always 72 degrees in the city.

Rather than simply asking Bailey to give up the number, Panarin honored the tradition. He gifted the fuzzy ambassador a Rolex watch in exchange for the rights to wear 72 on the ice.

The gesture shows how professional sports culture extends beyond just the players on the roster. Mascots have become integral parts of team identity, entertaining fans and building community connections at every game.

Sunny's Take

What makes this story even better is that Bailey didn't actually lose anything in the deal. Since mascots never share the ice with players during games, Bailey will continue wearing number 72 in the stands while Panarin rocks it during play.

The arrangement turned into the rarest of trades: one where both sides genuinely won. Bailey got a luxury timepiece for essentially nothing, and Panarin got his preferred number without any hard feelings.

It's a small moment that reveals something meaningful about sports culture. In an industry often criticized for ego and selfishness, Panarin took time to acknowledge someone who never appears in box scores or highlight reels.

The hockey community has embraced the lighthearted exchange, with fans celebrating both Panarin's generosity and Bailey's shrewd negotiating skills. After all, keeping your number and getting a Rolex might be the best deal any mascot has ever made.

In a world that often takes sports too seriously, sometimes the best stories happen off the ice.