The Tuck Rule

I'll admit that the first thing I noticed about the Flyers' jerseys last night was that massive IBX add on the shoulder. We'll talk about that later, but the image to the left is of Trevor Zegras sitting in the penalty box after being sent off by officials for "improperly wearing equipment" in their preseason game against the Boston Bruins. You might be thinking that everything looks fine on Zegras when it comes to how he's dressed, but officials noticed that his jersey was tucked into his pants during play, and he was officially penalized for that fashion choice. I'll make it known: I am in favour of the NHL cracking down on equipment infractions.

At 9:51 of the second period of the Flyers-Bruins preseason game, Zegras received a two-minute minor penalty for delay of game. What was weird is that this was called moments after a face-off in the Bruins' zone, so there was some confusion. Here's that moment.

As you can see at the blue line, that's referee Francis Charron, an 18-year veteran, making the call on Zegras, and Zegras had a chat with referee Jon McIsaac as he was being escorted to the penalty box. McIsaac, a 15-year veteran, broke the news to Zegras that he was being called for his tucked-in jersey. In short, this wasn't some hotshot rookie referee that was looking to make a name for himself.

According to Kevin Kurz of The Athletic, "Zegras said after the game he was given a warning when he had it tucked to start the game, 'because 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'".

Kurz also noted that The Athletic's Chris Johnston reported that wearing equipment properly is a point of emphasis entering this season, and will include "visors, neck guards and cut-resistant gear (now required for all new players), helmets in warmup and tucked jerseys". The Flyers were aware of the new mandate as per head coach Rick Tocchet who told Kurz, "They told us, in all fairness two, three weeks ago. I didn't even think about it. … Obviously, can't do it anymore. Regular season starts, we can't have a penalty like that. I actually had to put (Matvei Michkov’s jersey) down on the bench."

Some people are going to roll their eyes and say the NHL is going too far, but this has always been part of the NHL rulebook since 1964. The stricter enforcement comes with players altering their uniforms and equipment to gain an advantage which, in turn, could lower the safety aspect of the uniform and equipment. Zegras' jersey tuck, for example, is that he likely doesn't have his jersey tied down as it should be, and that's not how the jersey is designed to be worn. That, by the letter of the law, is a penalty, and Zegras broke the rule.

Admittedly, the NHL never really cared about the jersey tuck thanks to some guy who wore #99 and set a bunch of scoring records, but this rule has to be applied to all equipment or there would be chaos. Consider that the NHL penalized Maple Leafs forward Leo Komarov at 6:26 of the first period in the opening game of the 2017 NHL season for his visor being pushed up on his helmet, creating an unsafe situation for Komarov. If the officials had shrugged and Komarov was high-sticked or took a puck in the face, the NHL could be liable.

As stated above, the mandated cut-resistant gear comes on the heels of Adam Johnson's death in the EIHL, Richard Zednik's scary neck incident, and Erik Karlsson's Achilles injury. Cut-resistant equipment is good, but a properly-secured jersey helps protect players as well.

No one complains about NHL players not being able to show personality or bring their style to the game while wearing helmets, yet helmets were mandated for all new players entering the NHL on June 1, 1979 following the death of Bill Masterton from a brain injury on January 13, 1968. No one complains that the players are losing personality or style with everyone wearing visors which the NHL mandated at the start of the 2013–14 season. And no one will complain that no player tucks their jerseys into their pants if the NHL makes it a point to end this equipment trend. Safety matters.

Every player will be warned this season if there's an equipment problem, so they'll have a chance to correct the issue. If they choose not to do that like Zegras chose not to, they will sit and watch for two minutes from the little bench. If they choose to continue to ignore the rule, the third violation would result in a game misconduct. Again, this is less about personal style and more about safety, and I'll side with safer hockey for all every single time.

Feel free to disagree with me if you like, but I'd rather see my favorite NHL stars on the ice rather than nursing injuries for wearing their visors improperly or spending time at the hospital as doctors try to stop them from bleeding to death. Jerseys are part of the equipment players wear, so wearing it properly should be enforced. In this case, count me as a supporter of the jersey tuck rule.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!