NY Islanders' announcer Brendan Burke notifies Elliotte Friedman of rule crackdown

Much of the talk around the NHL this off-season has focused on the rising salary cap and the record-setting deals players have received over the summer. But a rule that has been around for the past 13 seasons and hasn’t necessarily been enforced will be a point of emphasis this year, and NY Islanders announcer Brendan Burke may be the reason we’re even aware of it.

“When I was in New York at the Board of Governors meeting, I was at an event with Brendan Burke, the voice of the Islanders,” Elliotte Friedman said on the 32 Thoughts podcast. “He told me something I had no idea [about]. He said, ‘Have you heard about this crackdown?’ And I said, ‘Can I look into this?’ He said, ‘ Sure.’"

The crackdown pertains to the way players wear their jerseys on the ice. At every faceoff or whenever a player takes the ice mid-play, they are not allowed to have their jerseys tucked in in any way. If violated, the player will first receive a warning, a two-minute player for a second violation, a misconduct for a third, and a game misconduct for a fourth.

If the jersey gets tucked into the pants during play, no penalty shall be assessed.

On Thursday, we saw the rule enforced for the first time this pre-season, with Trevor Zegras of the Philadelphia Flyers receiving a two-minute penalty for delay of game - equipment. Players like Zegras and Alexander Ovechkin typically play with the back of their jersey tucked into their pants, but they will need to address the habit this season.

Along with the jersey tuck rule, players entering the league this season are required to wear a neck guard and must wear their visor properly, unlike Leo Komarov.

The jersey tuck rule will certainly make Burke’s job easier from the announcers' booth, as it’ll be easier to see the players' numbers without it being tucked into their pants.

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