Paul Stewart: Uniformity: The Tuck Rule and Related Matters

I don't think it has anything to do wanting the players to look professional. Wayne Gretzky as you mentioned tucked his jersey for years and he was far from being any kind of rebel.

I can't shake a nagging feeling of that it is all in line to allow European-like advertising on the jerseys.

I don't think it has anything to do wanting the players to look professional. Wayne Gretzky as you mentioned tucked his jersey for years and he was far from being any kind of rebel.

I can't shake a nagging feeling of that it is all in line to allow European-like advertising on the jerseys.
- Ben37

Agreed.

As always another insightful and thoughtful blog Stewy. I personally like simple, classic uniforms with easily readable numbers (in most arenas now the pressbox is high above the ice) such as those worn by Detroit, Chicago, and Philadelphia. When I started in hockey there were no names on the sweaters, no hats on the players, in some cases no masks on the goalies, and no ads on the ice and boards. I understand why that has changed with the economics of the game so different now than it was then. The one thing I hope I never see in the NHL and the rest of North American hockey, however, is uniforms turned into virtual commercial billboards as they have become in Europe! What a disaster THAT would be.


German born Buffalo Sabre defenseman Christian Ehrhoff in the ad bespangled uniform of the Krefeld Pinguine earlier in his career.

There is a very simple, grown-up way for the NHL to address issues like these. It should not involve refs on the ice or penalizing a player. It should involve the league fining franchises if their players aren't meeting certain standards - and the fines should be escalating.

AO won't be tucking his jersey for long if ol' Ted Leonsis is taking an ever-increasingly larger hit in his pocket book.

Funny, I was always taught growing up that tucking your shirt in was what looked professional...

Being humble and showing respect for the game (even its finicky little rules) is a good way to get the hockey gods (and the refs) on your side.

I don't think it has anything to do wanting the players to look professional. Wayne Gretzky as you mentioned tucked his jersey for years and he was far from being any kind of rebel.

I can't shake a nagging feeling of that it is all in line to allow European-like advertising on the jerseys.
- Ben37

Yeah, that's what I figured the jersey tuck rule was all about. Setting things up to turn the players into various advertisements. That player tucking in just a part of his jersey today could be tucking in half of the Coca-Cola logo Sad, but true.

Hopefully they don't manage to take it that far.

I don't think it has anything to do wanting the players to look professional. Wayne Gretzky as you mentioned tucked his jersey for years and he was far from being any kind of rebel.

I can't shake a nagging feeling of that it is all in line to allow European-like advertising on the jerseys.
- Ben37

I don't think that's the NHL's end game here. Unless they've changed their direction. I know for a fact during my own career that there were offers to put ads on the sweaters... including officials' sweaters... and the answer was no because the NHL wanted to keep the uniforms pristine. Ads on the dasher boards and elsewhere, yes. Uniforms, no.

I don't see the big deal with jersey tucks or whatever other fashion statements players want to make and I don't see it as a player not being a team guy if he likes certain things that are different. Just let players do their thing as long as it doesn't affect safety or performance. What are they going to try to make standard next, goalie mask paint jobs? Haircuts? Facial hair? Just let players have their subtle little things that don't have any real impact on the game itself, only on their mindset.

I don't see the big deal with jersey tucks or whatever other fashion statements players want to make and I don't see it as a player not being a team guy if he likes certain things that are different. Just let players do their thing as long as it doesn't affect safety or performance. What are they going to try to make standard next, goalie mask paint jobs? Haircuts? Facial hair? Just let players have their subtle little things that don't have any real impact on the game itself, only on their mindset.
- dcz28

I agree. I don't watch hockey to see if the players are wearing their jerseys the proper way. I pay to see players play their best. If having a jersey tucked in makes them play better, I'm all for it. The only problem I'd have is if it was a deliberate attempt to "hide" their # from referees.

The max curve isn't 1/2" its 3/4"...

There are always players who want to bend the rules. It is the responsibility of the trainers and the refs to enforce what needs to be done.