Young players demand new change in the NHL!

As NHL players made their way to Toronto or Edmonton in order to take part in the NHL’s summer playoff tournament, they didn’t have to pack their suitcases with a bevy of stylish suits, after the announcement of the league relaxing its more traditional dress code.

This was exciting news for many players, especially the younger generation, who hope to show off a little more personality than they are usually forced to hide. 

However, many teams have chosen to get their players to wear different team-issued, logoed collared shirts and matching pants so they look presentable and like a team on the way to games.

This angered many fans and it appears that young players now demand that “the NHL unlock the personalities of their players” like we have seen in other sports. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on the matter and the players’ desire on Writers’ Bloc. 

Last week, Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson admitted that he would love to wear something that would show off his personality, but revealed that the club will most likely wear team tracksuits. 

When the announcement was made official by the league, Avalanche centre Nazem Kadri and Toronto Maple Leafs star forward Auston Matthews were amongst the many players to react, getting excited about the possibility of showing their true colours on their way to games.

“I love the idea,” Kadri said of the relaxed dress code. “I love it. The game has got to evolve with its players and this is a great way for players to show their personalities.”

“As much as I like the suit idea and the tradition and how sharp it looks, I think this is a way for guys to express themselves and I’m certainly interested to see what guys have in store,” Kadri added.

“I’m really looking forward to it, honestly,” Matthews told reporters in Toronto. “It’ll be a pretty cool opportunity for guys to express themselves like other leagues are able to. At times, hockey can kind of fall behind as far as that stuff kind of goes.”

Clearly, the younger generation of players are quite vocal on this and could get their way in the upcoming seasons.