By the numbers: Curlers share the stories behind their jersey numbers

TORONTO — The numbers? What do they mean!? 

Jersey numbers are back for Rock League, adding a personal touch to the all-new professional curling league.

From birthdays to favourite athletes to even an area code, curlers share why they selected their jersey numbers.

Jocelyn Peterman, Maple United, No. 2: "I mostly just played fastball growing up and that seemed to always be my number. I think a lot of the time I wasn't the tallest or the biggest on the team, so usually the jersey numbers went from one to 30 or whatever. I just always kind of usually ended up with No. 2, so I stuck with it for this week."

Bobby Lammie, Typhoon Curling Club, No. 7: "When I was younger, I was a big David Beckham fan. He was No. 7 and then I've always just liked the number seven since then, so I guess lucky seven."

Kerri Einarson, Shield Curling Club, No. 7: "I've always picked seven. I don't know what it is, but ever since I was a kid, I just love the No. 7. Lucky seven!"

Rachel Homan, Maple United, No. 8: "I just see the number as like an infinity sign of just there’s always work to do, always trying to get better, the work never stops. I just see that as how I train, how I see the sport and just always try to find new ways to get better. So that's kind of what I see the number as."

John Shuster, Frontier Curling Club, No. 8: "No. 8 is the number that I wore a lot in my baseball career. I played baseball all the way through a couple of years of college. It's just a number that I had in baseball for probably from like middle school on. It’s kind of the number that I gravitated towards, so throw that on the back and it feels pretty natural."

Alina Pätz, Alpine Curling Club, No. 8: “It has been my lucky number since forever and also like, yeah, it follows me my whole life. Also with Sven (Michel), it's like our lucky number.”

Jennifer Dodds, Northern United, No. 10: "I was born in October, so the 10th month. I was going to use the day of my birthday, but I was born on the first, so I don't think I could have No. 1 on my back. It'd be a bit obnoxious. Yeah, that's not me."

Korey Dropkin, Frontier Curling Club, No. 12: "One of my favourite athletes growing up has been Tom Brady. Just a big-time player. Being a New England boy growing up watching Tom all my life, I just kind of figured, well, why not? Let's go with the Tom Brady No. 12."

Bruce Mouat, Northern United, No. 13: "So in the 2015-16 season, we wore numbers on our backs. I think I chose 13 because I was like, oh, I'm not suspicious. Thirteen is unlucky for some, but then we ended up winning the world juniors on the 13th of March, so it just stuck."

Emma Miskew, Alpine Curling Club, No. 14: "I actually had a hard time picking a number because I used to have numbers when I played soccer, and I was kind of trying to remember the numbers that I had been, but it's just my birthday."

Brad Jacobs, Shield Curling Club, No. 15: "I just had it since I was a kid. That's kind of been my number since I was a kid growing up playing sports, playing hockey or baseball or whatever or even playing sports at school. I always tried to go for No. 15. I think 15 for me was just something that always stood out. I liked it. I also liked No. 11 growing up because I was born on June 11. When I think back to when I was a kid, I believe I was No. 15, and I had a good year in some sort of sport, so I always stuck with that."

Yannick Schwaller, Northern United, No. 16: “I guess it’s something that a lot of guys do: It's the birthday of my son. It is the biggest joy of my life so far. It's been awesome. The last couple of months have been amazing. The Curling Baby actually.”

Carole Howald, Shield Curling Club, No. 19: "It's something romantic. It’s because Kirk Muyres and me met each other on the 19th in Paris."

Sara McManus, Northern United, No. 21: "Since I was little, I always watched hockey and we have Peter Forsberg, No. 21, so he's like the legend. I even wore his shirt for the summer break when I was little, so I was like, yeah, why not 21. I had it in soccer as well, so it just kind of felt right."

Eve Muirhead, Alpine Curling Club GM, No. 22: "When we first started wearing numbers, I've always been 22. Birthday’s on the 22nd of April and it's just always a number that I've always kind of stuck with and yeah, it's back."

Isabella Wranå, Northern United, No. 22: "I was born on the 22nd of June, so that's why I'm 22."

Benoît Schwarz-van Berkel, Shield Curling Club, No. 23: “It's very easy. Both my babies and my wife (were born on) the 23rd. My family is from the 23rd, basically, so a very easy reason."

Brett Gallant, Maple United, No. 23: "My son was born on the 23rd, the day of the 23rd year, and Jocelyn's birthday is also on the 23rd day, so it's just a good number for me and it makes me think of them."

Stefania Constantini, Frontier Curling Club, No. 30: "My boyfriend is a goalie, and they have to also choose numbers at the beginning of the season. I had to choose from 90 to 30 because these are his numbers. In the end, I chose 30, so my boyfriend is always with me."

Oskar Eriksson, Alpine Curling Club, No. 33: "I asked my girlfriend what number I should have. I can't really remember the reason, but it was something she said and that's why I chose 33. It was a good thing I didn't choose 29. That's my birthday, and Hammy (McMillan) took it, so he was probably before me. So 33, thanks to my girlfriend."

Taylor Anderson-Heide, Frontier Curling Club, No. 36: “It was my favourite number because when I was a kid it was my Disney channel.”

Anton Hood, Typhoon Curling Club, No. 64: "Sixty-four is New Zealand's telly code. So if you plus-64 and whatever a phone number is in New Zealand. I couldn't think of a number, so I just thought I'd keep it close to home and represent the country."

Mike McEwen, Maple United, No. 80: "Born in 80, but I grew up watching the Minnesota Vikings and the man with hands of glue, Cris Carter. If a ball touched his hands, he didn't drop it. He was amazing. He was my favourite player, so he wore 80. It's just kind of stuck with me and some people tell me that's the last year Saskatchewan won the Brier."