Trevor Zegras hit the ice for his preseason debut in the Philadelphia Flyers’ 2-0 win over the Boston Bruins, but what everyone’s buzzing about isn’t a highlight reel goal, it’s a two-minute penalty that feels like it came straight out of a bizarre dream. This wasn’t some roughing call or a tripping infraction, nope. Zegras got dinged for “improper wearing of equipment” because his jersey was tucked into his pants. You read that right. A tucked jersey.
What Just Happened on the Ice?!
Midway through the second period, the refs threw up their hands and pointed Zegras to the box. A two-minute minor for delay of game. We’ve seen these calls before for helmets popping off, but this one? A jersey tuck. Apparently, that’s a big no-no this season. Luckily for the Flyers, they managed to kill off the penalty, but imagine that call in a regular season game? That’s the kind of stuff that could swing momentum for real. Zegras himself was understandably confused and a bit annoyed. Who wouldn’t be?
Zegras and Coach Tocchet Were Just As Confused
After the game, the jersey tuck was the main topic. Zegras explained his side, saying his “jersey was tucked in before the shift,” and that after an earlier warning, “they said that’s a penalty.” He’s one of those guys around the league who always plays with his jersey tucked; it’s practically second nature. He figured it must have gone back in on the bench, and he just “forgot” when he came back out. Flyers Head Coach Rick Tocchet was also pretty bewildered. He recalled the referee telling him, “next time it’s a warning, so Trevor’s got to put his tie down.” Tocchet even joked that “the days of Gretzky and the tucks don’t work anymore, you get a penalty.” The NHL clearly sent a memo because Tocchet mentioned they’d been told about this rule change two or three weeks ago, but he admitted he “didn’t even think about it” until Zegras got whistled.
Are Refs Really the New Fashion Police?
So, what does this mean for the regular season? If refs are being this strict now, players need to get their acts together fast. Tocchet even noted that Matvei Michkov, who was the best player on the ice in that 2-0 win, also likes to tuck his jersey sometimes. The coach is already on it, making sure the Flyers won’t face these kinds of penalties when the games actually count. He knows they “can’t have a penalty like that for a tucked jersey” when the regular season begins. This preseason, it seems the referees are indeed “part-time fashion police.” Players like Zegras, who’ve always played with a tucked jersey, are gonna have to adapt real quick and get those tie-downs on. The stakes are too high for a delay of game penalty over a shirt.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Broad Street Hockey.
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