Philadelphia Flyers center and forward Trevor Zegras became the first high-profile example of the NHL's stricter equipment enforcement in Thursday's 2-0 preseason win over the Boston Bruins.
At 9:51 of the second period, Zegras was assessed a two-minute minor for delay of game after officials determined he was improperly wearing his equipment. The issue was not related to his playing action but rather the way his jersey was worn, with the back tucked into his pants.
The 25-year-old had already been warned about the jersey earlier in the game. He explained afterward “that's how I usually play. It must have just went back in on the bench, and when I came out, just forgot, and (they) called it (a penalty).”
Zegras signed a four-year, $36.5 million extension with Philadelphia this offseason, carrying an average annual value of $9.125 million. He is coming off a career-best 26-goal, 67-point campaign across 81 games last season, finishing second on the Flyers in scoring. He also recorded two goals and four assists during the playoffs.
Article Continues BelowThe NHL is placing greater emphasis on equipment rules entering the 2026-27 season, with enforcement covering jerseys, neck guards, visors, helmets and cut-resistant gear. New players are now required to wear cut-resistant equipment, while helmets must also be worn during warmups.
Under the league's enforcement guidelines, jerseys must be untucked when a player begins a shift. If a jersey rides up during play, officials will not immediately issue a penalty, but the player must have it untucked before returning for his next shift. A warning is issued before a two-minute minor penalty, while another violation can result in a misconduct.
The league previously attempted to enforce restrictions on tucked jerseys during the 2013-14 season. The NHL sent teams a memo that year reminding them that protective padding could not be exposed and that equipment generally had to remain beneath the uniform. The last tucked-jersey penalties came in 2013 before the emphasis faded.