By Vani Hanamirian
Philadelphia Flyers forward Trevor Zegras was penalized Thursday night for “improperly wearing the equipment,” a call he disagreed with.
The Flyers had a 1-0 lead in the second period when Zegras was assessed a two-minute minor penalty for delay of game - equipment.
According to head coach Rick Tocchet, the National Hockey League (NHL) announced it would crack down on proper equipment use this season.
Elliotte Friedman confirmed the league’s crackdown and reacted to the penalty
Jerseys are supposed to be untucked at the beginning of a player's shift. (If it rides up during a shift, it's not an issue.)
The procedure is a warning, followed by a two-minute penalty. So, Zegras must have been warned earlier in the game. The next violation is supposed to be a misconduct.
Zegras was the first example of this after going to the penalty box for tucking his jersey into his pants.
“I started the game with it tucked; that’s how I usually play,”
Zegras said. “Must have just went back down the bench and came out and forgot.”
The rule was last enforced in the 2013 season, when Washington Capitals’
Alex Ovechkin called the rule “kind of stupid.”However, it remains an
official NHL rule.Rule 9.5 States:
All protective equipment, except gloves, headgear and goalkeepers’ leg pads, must be worn under the uniform. Should it be brought to the attention of the Referee that a player is wearing, for example, an elbow pad that is not covered by his jersey, he shall instruct the player to cover up the pad, and a second violation by the same player would result in a minor penalty being assessed.
Whenever it is deemed by the Referee that a player is wearing any equipment that does not meet with League regulations, he shall instruct the player to change or remove the piece of equipment. If the player refuses, he shall be assessed a minor penalty for delay of game, and if he returns to the ice without making the change, he shall be assessed a misconduct penalty.
It also falls under Rule 9.1,
which states:Rule 9.1 Team Uniform – All players shall be dressed uniformly with approved design and color of their helmets, sweaters, short pants, stockings and skates. Altered uniforms of any kind, i.e., Velcro inserts, over-sized jerseys, altered collars, etc., will not be permitted. Any player or goalkeeper not complying with this rule shall not be permitted to participate in the game. For violations, refer to 9.5.
Tocchet confirmed that the league had told the team it would strictly enforce the rule again this season.
“They told us, in all fairness, two, three weeks ago,"
Tocchet said. "I didn’t even think about it. … Obviously, can’t do it anymore. The regular season starts; we can’t have a penalty like that. I actually had to put (Matvei Michkov’s jersey) down on the bench."
The penalty didn’t affect the Flyers' momentum; they scored again in the third period to win 2-0 over the Boston Bruins.
They now prepare for their final preseason game tonight against the Washington Capitals.
MORE: Flyers make more roster cuts ahead of preseason finale\
