The NHL will send a reminder to teams about mandatory helmets during warmups following instances where the Ottawa Senators, San Jose Sharks, and New Jersey Devils went helmetless. The trend began with the Senators before their November 26 game against the Vegas Golden Knights. Deputy commissioner Bill Daly confirmed no fines will be issued this time.
The Ottawa Senators initiated a helmetless warmup trend last week in Las Vegas, opting out of head protection before their 4-3 shootout victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on November 26. Defenseman Jake Sanderson explained the decision stemmed from a team dinner discussion aimed at changing their luck after six straight losses in Vegas. "It was just a little discussion over a team dinner last night," Sanderson told TSN’s Kenzie Lalonde. "We’ll see if it happens in the future."
The San Jose Sharks followed suit on Saturday, also in Vegas, with forward Will Smith calling it "a team decision." "It was Saturday night in Vegas, so all the guys were pretty easy (to take part)," Smith said. Only goaltenders, such as the Senators' Alex Nedeljkovic and the Sharks' Yaroslav Askarov, wore helmets during these warmups.
On Monday, the New Jersey Devils celebrated defenseman Brenden Dillon’s 1,000th NHL game by trading helmets for baseball caps reading “1,000 Dilly” before facing the Columbus Blue Jackets in Newark.
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly addressed the matter in emails to media outlets, stating, “We intend to communicate a reminder memo” and “We intend to send a reminder to all Clubs as to the applicable rules.” No fines were imposed, despite the $5,000 US penalty for violations. The rule, outlined in Rule 9.6, mandates helmets for players entering the league in 2019-20 or later during pre-game warmups, implemented for safety reasons to prevent injuries from errant pucks. Players from before that season are exempt. Sources differ slightly on the implementation year, with one noting the 2022-23 season and another the 2023-24 season.
TSN analyst Frank Corrado supported the trend's appeal, saying, “It’s kind of cool... Going no buckets is cool, it’s unique.” He acknowledged safety concerns, noting warmups can be chaotic with pucks flying. The league aims to enforce compliance moving forward, potentially fining repeat offenders.