PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia Flyers center Trevor Zegras was the first preseason victim of the NHL's version of the tuck rule.
Zegras was given a two-minute minor penalty for delay of game in the Flyers' 2-0 win over the Boston Bruins on Thursday night for “improperly wearing equipment.”
Zegras' fashion faux pas was having his jersey tucked into the back of his pants.
The NHL is cracking down this season on how players wear equipment, including jerseys, neck guards, visors and helmets.
Jerseys are required to be untucked at the start of a player’s shift and a warning is expected to be given before a penalty is assessed.
“My jersey was tucked in before the shift,” Zegras said. “So after a warning, they said that's an automatic penalty. I started the game obviously with it tucked because that's how I usually play.”
According to the NHL website scoutingtherefs.com, the last tucked jersey penalties on record came in 2013.
Zegras signed a four-year extension with the Flyers in the offseason with an average annual value of $9.125 million. Zegras had a career-high 26 goals and 67 points last season, the second most on the team. He added two goals and four assists in the playoffs.
See AP’s full NHL coverage here
FILE - Carolina Hurricanes' William Carrier (28) tries to get the puck past Philadelphia Flyers' Dan Vladar (80), Trevor Zegras (46) and Jamie Drysdale (9) during the third period of Game 4 in a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series, May 9, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — Rookie George Lombard Jr. scored on an incredible slide and followed with a tiebreaking. two-run homer as Cam Schlitter finished his season with an AL-best 1.95 ERA in the New York Yankees' 6-4 comeback win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday night.
Lombard, who debuted on Aug. 4, had three RBIs for the Yankees (92-67), who overcame a 4-0 deficit. He hit an RBI double in the seventh, jumped over catcher Liam Hicks to score in the eighth and followed with his fourth homer in seven games.
Austin Wells started New York’s comeback with a sixth-inning homer off Jake Woodford and Lombard cut the deficit to 4-2 in the three-run seventh.
He took third on Brady Hopkins' wild pitch and scored when another pitch bounced to the backstop. As the ball caromed back to Hicks, Lombard popped up well in front of the plate on his feet-first slide and jumped over the catcher while twisting his body in fair territory and reaching down to slap his right hand on the plate.
Paul Goldschmidt followed with a single that tied the score 4-4.
Lombard hit his seventh home run of the season in the eighth, driving a sinker from Steven Matz (5-6) into the left field second deck. Lombard briefly watched the ball soar into the seats before starting his home run trot.
Making his final start before the AL Wild Card Series next week, Schlitter allowed two runs — one earned — in three innings. The 25-year-old right-hander went 14-6 and struck out 239 over 193 2/3 innings in his first full major league season. He finished with the Yankees' third-lowest ERA for a qualified pitcher behind Spud Chandler’s 1.64 ERA in 1943 and Ron Guidry’s 1.74 ERA in 1978, according to the team.
Tampa Bay (96-63), which clinched the AL East on Tuesday, built a 4-0 lead as Junior Caminero drove in two runs to raise his RBIs total to 99. The Rays got a pair of unearned runs, helped by errors from right fielder Heliot Ramos and reliever Luis Gil.
Bradley Hanner (1-0) retired Caminero with a runner on to end the eighth and stranded a runner in the ninth for his first major league win.
Rays: RHP Freddy Peralta (9-11, 4.56, ERA) faces LHP Cristopher Sánchez (18-6, 2.92) in the opener of a three-game series in Philadelphia Friday night.
Yankees: Host Baltimore in a single-admission doubleheader on Friday.
See AP’s full MLB coverage here
New York Yankees pitcher Bradley Hanner (93) celebrates with George Lombard Jr., right, after their team defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Mason Englert reacts after giving up a solo home run to New York Yankees' George Lombard Jr. during the third inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
New York Yankees' George Lombard Jr. hits a two-run home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
New York Yankees' George Lombard Jr. avoids a tag from Tampa Bay Rays catcher Liam Hicks to score a run during the seventh inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
New York Yankees' George Lombard Jr. avoids a tag from Tampa Bay Rays catcher Liam Hicks to score a run during the seventh inning of a baseball game Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
