Nylander and Other Leafs Flex Fashion Sense With New Relaxed NHL Dress Code Ahead of 2025-26 Season Opener

The 2025-26 season is finally upon us, and the Maple Leafs will open their season at home tonight against the Montreal Canadiens.

This summer, the NHL made some amendments to the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA), and one of these amendments had to do with the dress code that NHL players previously were forced to abide by.

Fashion and sports often intertwine, and for the Maple Leafs players, particularly the more fashionable ones like Auston Matthews and William Nylander, this will be a great opportunity for the players to show some of their own unique style and character.

To that end, some of the Leafs' players were spotted entering the building earlier today, and in some cases, their old suit photos gave way to much more relaxed wardrobe choices.

Max Domi and William Nylander took slightly different approaches, with Nylander breaking out the matching jacket and jeans for the occasion, while Domi sported his Blue Jays attire in support of Canada's ball team on their current playoff run.

A few players did still opt for a more traditional suit setup, including deadline addition Brandon Carlo and newcomer Nicolas Roy. Matthew Knies opted for a quarter-zip sweater and black pants.

Simon Benoit, too, opted for a suit, going with what he's comfortable with and accustomed to. Steven Lorentz, like Knies, went with the sweater/pants combo.

Bobby McMann and Dakota Joshua went for comfort over fashion.

Meanwhile, team captain Auston Matthews also went very relaxed with his baggy sweater and pants -- though his demeanor still said "all business".

Allowing players to show their personality a little bit more will certainly make hockey a lot more relatable and potentially draw in some new fans, who may be fashion enthusiasts.

For the Leafs, it doesn't matter what they wear into the rink, though, but that they play as a cohesive unit when they're all united in blue and white each night.