The NHL is taking a closer look at how its players wear their uniforms this season, warning teams that it will enforce rules on tucked jerseys and tilted visors more strictly.
Uniform-related punishments were one of the preseason’s most-followed storylines, as players across the league adjust to a dress code that has historically been enforced somewhat loosely.
Most notably, Philadelphia Flyers star forward Trevor Zegras recently took a penalty for “improperly wearing equipment” after wearing his jersey tucked into the back of his pants during Philadelphia’s preseason game against the Boston Bruins.
Trevor Zegras assessed minor penalty for improper jersey tuck
“My jersey was tucked in for the shift,” Zegras said of the call postgame. “So after a warning, they said that’s an automatic penalty…I started the game with it tucked, because that’s how I usually play, and then it must have just went back out on the bench, and then when I went out, (I) just forgot.”
In an apparent protest of the penalty, Zegras posted photos to his Instagram Story showing him wearing his jersey tucked in since he was a kid. Meanwhile, much of the Flyers’ roster took warmups with their sweaters tucked in before their preseason finale on Saturday against the Capitals.
The rule banning players from tucking in jerseys is nothing new, but the NHL has told teams they will increase enforcement of uniform violations this year, including both jersey tucks and tilted visors. Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery confirmed the league has put teams on notice.
“We’ll see how this plays out, but the league has sent a video to all the players and staff members on what the emphasis is going to be this year, and that is basically the whole video,” Carbery said. “There’s a couple other little things on it, but visors and the jerseys (were a big part).”
Capitals prospect Lynden Lakovic took an illegal equipment call of his own against the Boston Bruins earlier in the preseason, though that penalty was for his visor, not his jersey. Though Carbery won’t go so far as to say he’ll do wardrobe checks on the bench, he’ll make sure his players understand the consequences if they ignore a warning.
“If someone’s been warned, I’m probably going to get that (warning),” Carbery said. “And then I’m going to mention to that player, ‘We’re going to go shorthanded if you don’t fix your visor or fix your jersey. So we’re either going to get short, or you’re going to fix your equipment.’
“I don’t think they’re going to do it out of the blue to where they’re just picking guys left, right, and center. They’re going to make sure that, ‘Hey, if you don’t fix this, you will potentially get a two-minute minor.’”
When asked about the new policy by The Athletic’s Janson Duench, Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl said he was “gonna have to fix” his habit of wearing his jersey tucked.
“It’s not anything I’m gonna lose sleep over, to be honest with you, but it’s an interesting rule,” he said.
Zegras and Draisaitl are hardly alone. Several of the NHL’s most recognizable stars have regularly played with some portion of their jerseys tucked into their pants, including Alex Ovechkin, William Nylander, Evgeni Malkin, Clayton Keller, and Matvei Michkov.
The NHL previously tried to crack down on tucked jerseys in 2013 — a push Ovechkin called “kind of stupid” at the time — but relaxed enforcement within months.
TSN’s Bryan Hayes recently speculated that the league may be enforcing the rule in preparation for advertising on the back of jerseys.
“It obviously is about money,” Hayes said. “They’re selling real estate on jerseys. Companies are paying a lot of money to get their name on it, and that’s what is coming up. It will be sold at some point. My understanding is that they’re going to keep selling real estate on the jerseys, and you can’t sell it at the top dollar if players are going to hide it because companies are going to say, ‘What the hell is going on? Why would I give you all that money if I can’t even see my company?'”
