As the NHL season gets underway, players and teams across the league embraced Halloween on October 31, 2025, with creative costumes ranging from pop culture icons to hockey legends. The festivities coincided with the latest power rankings, highlighting standout performances early in the 2025-26 season. Highlights included group themes and individual tributes that added fun to the spooky holiday.
Halloween brought a festive spirit to the NHL, with players donning costumes that blended humor, pop culture, and nods to hockey history. In the league's power rankings released on October 31, each team was assigned a top costume idea tied to their early-season form, while actual player outfits shared on social media showcased group efforts and individual creativity.
Standout Costumes from Players
Chicago Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno dressed as Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni, who reciprocated by portraying Foligno. Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar went as “Thing 6” and “Thing 7,” referencing a viral “67” trend. Vegas Golden Knights' William Karlsson and Reilly Smith, with their wives, channeled ABBA. New Jersey Devils' Arseny Gritsyuk opted for a simple ghost costume. The Colorado Avalanche mascot Bernie dressed as defenseman Brent Burns, complete with a backpack.
Philadelphia Flyers mascot Gritty embodied Ben Stiller’s character from “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story,” sporting a headband. San Jose Sharks players Barclay Goodrow and Ryan Reaves portrayed characters from “The Office,” while Vincent Desharnais went as Mr. Clean. Sharks duo Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith dressed as “Dumb and Dumber.” Detroit Red Wings' Albert Johansson, Simon Edvinsson, and Elmer Soderblom wore Ninja Turtle outfits, and goaltender Cam Talbot appeared as a dalmatian alongside his wife as Cruella de Vil.
Florida Panthers' Jeff Petry and family flew as characters from “The Mighty Ducks.” Utah Mammoth's Mikhail Sergachev featured chickens in his costume, warning not to mess with them. Nashville Predators practiced dance moves as Care Bears during a Children's Hospital visit. Pittsburgh Penguins rookies rocked superhero costumes in the locker room.
Power Rankings Tie-In
The Athletic's power rankings incorporated costume themes for each team. Top-ranked Vegas Golden Knights (6-1-3) highlighted Pavel Dorofeyev's Joe Malone costume, matching his 9-1-10 stat line. Utah Mammoth (8-3-0) featured Logan Cooley's nod to best contracts with eight goals in 11 games. Colorado Avalanche (6-1-4) celebrated Cale Makar's Bobby Orr outfit amid his league-leading +6.0 Net Rating and 15 points in 11 games. Other teams like the Carolina Hurricanes (7-3-0) were dubbed a "#RealGoals team," reflecting their league-high 3.8 actual goals per 60 at five-on-five.
These celebrations underscored the lighter side of the league amid strong starts for teams like the New Jersey Devils (8-3-0) and Montreal Canadiens (8-3-0).