NHL To Make Helmets Mandatory in Warm Ups

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told ESPN that they are warning teams against taking warmups without wearing helmets before games, which violates rules.

NHL Cracking Down On Helmets During Warm-Ups

Bill Daly told ESPN that the league is sending memos to teams reminding them that wearing helmets during warm-ups is mandatory. “All players who entered the NHL during the 2019-2020 season or later,” per Rule 9.6.

The Ottawa Senators played the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday night, showing up to warm-ups without helmets. Forward Shane Pinto told TSN the team decided not to wear helmets to change their luck in Vegas. The Senators did end up winning against the Knights 4-3 in a shootout.

The San Jose Sharks also did not wear helmets during warmups Saturday night against the Knights. The Sharks did lose to Vegas 4-3, so their luck did not change without wearing helmets.

On Tuesday night, the New Jersey Devils came out to warmups wearing hats instead of helmets for defenseman Brenden Dillon’s 1,000th career game.

Rule 9.6

Rule 9.6 states that “all players who entered the NHL at the beginning of the 2019-2020 season or later are to wear helmets during pre-game warm-ups. However, all players who entered the NHL before the 2019-2020 season and who are currently playing are exempt from this mandate.”

All About Player Safety

The league changed its rules in 2022 to mandate helmet usage in warmups due to the safety of players. Not only is the league cracking down on rookies and other players to wear helmets, but the NHL is also implementing that starting in the 2026 season, neck guards will be required to wear as well.