It’s rare that a player only wears a number for one season and comes out on top as the best player to wear said number. Well, that’s the exact case with the #49 and the Calgary Flames. Matthew Lombardi played the 2003-04 season with the #49 on his back and that one single year was better than anyone else to wear the specific number in Flames history.
Lombardi was originally drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the 7th round of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, but the Montreal native never signed with Edmonton. Calgary would then draft him in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft as a re-entry with the 90th overall pick (3rd Round).