Philadelphia Flyers forward Trevor Zegras was given a minor penalty for "improperly wearing the equipment" in a preseason game Thursday night after being warned about tucking his jersey into his pants.
The penalty was issued in the second period of the Flyers' 2-0 home win over the Boston Bruins.
"My jersey was tucked in at the start of my shift. So after a warning, they said that's an automatic penalty," Zegras said. "I started the game with it tucked, which is obviously how I usually play."
Scouting The Refs, a website that tracks NHL officiating, reported that Zegras was the first player to be penalized for a jersey tuck violation since 2013.
Rule 9.5 states that "all protective equipment, except gloves, headgear, neck protection, and goalkeepers' leg pads must be worn under the uniform." Under Rule 12.1, which covers all illegal equipment, players are given a warning before a minor penalty is imposed.
Flyers coach Rick Tocchet said teams were told a few weeks ago that proper use of equipment would be an officiating emphasis this season.
"He's just gotta put his tie down. That'll keep the jersey down," Tocchet said after the game, referencing the loop of fabric that secures a jersey to a player's pants. "He obviously can't [tuck] it anymore. When the regular season starts, we can't have a penalty like that."
The last time the NHL cracked down on tucked-in jerseys was in 2013-14. The enforcement was unpopular with some players, with Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin calling it "kind of stupid" and saying that it restricted the individuality of the players.
