Two Minutes for Suiting: The Bolts enter a new era of NHL style

Welcome back to Two Minutes for Suiting, a sartorial spotlight on our favorite Lightning player arrivals of the moment.

Two Minutes indulges in gusto, class and guys who like to get down. It’s inspiration for your next jubilee, entertainment for the inevitably online. But more than anything, Two Minutes is another fine reason to talk about the Bolts.

This season, the NHL is finally venturing into its “tunnel walk” era after scrapping its suits-only dress code. Players are allowed to dress a little more freely according to a revision in the new CBA. And as a result, the Lightning’s player arrivals have taken on a new, wider spectrum of style.

Today we’re taking an early look at the returns. Some guys are still wearing great suits, others fantastically not so. Let’s talk about the best of them.

Jake Guentzel

Jake Guentzel has to be pleased looking at himself on this woman’s phone. In fact, it doesn’t really look like she’s all that concerned with getting herself in the frame. She just saw Guentzel, threw her phone out there and said, “Dude, check it out. You look incredible.” And the Guentz agrees—as we all do. The light blue pinstripes with the peak lapel: dynamite. And the hair? Let’s talk about it. Hollywood A-listers pay good money for that kind of frost. Jake Guentzel wakes up with it. Rolls out of bed with it. Takes his helmet off for an interview with Gabby Shirley and it’s still there. Stunning.

Andrei Vasilevskiy

Let’s be clear about something up front: Andrei Vasilevskiy is a leather jacket wearer. He is not a man experimenting with leather jackets, or a random subject to some stylist. The Rider/Perfecto is a classic motorcycle jacket. And Vasilevskiy has earned its hide. Here's the Big Cat on a Ducati. Here's the Big Cat in the cockpit of a fighter jet. One time, I was driving down Bayshore when I saw a vintage black Porsche in my rearview with a spoiler the size of an Olympic high jump. I’m 99% positive it was Andrei Vasilevskiy. Here, Vasy pairs the leather with a dark flannel tucked into cropped black slacks, black loafers and curls for days. You see an opposing goalie arrive to a game like this and only one thing is certain: you’re cooked.

Victor Hedman

Hedman has been somewhat of the king of this column for the past couple seasons, what with his penchant for fine tailoring and custom suits. Good to see it’s translating just fine to the more casual walks of life. Hedman looked clean on opening night, opting for a textured button-up over a white tee, classic wayfarer frames and a watch that I’m sure I can’t pronounce the name of. If I saw a random gentleman dressed like this on the street, I’d gladly accept his autograph as well.

Darren Raddysh

You’d be forgiven for mistaking Raddy’s roller bag for a guitar case based off the sartorial chops above. The Bolts defenseman is playing a setlist of fall classics: minimalist knit cap, tortoise shell frames and a crewneck sweater with just the right amount of collar checking things out around the neck. But the real star of the arrival is the Super Tock board. Anytime you can walk up the stairs of a private flight with an obscure board game as an accessory, you have to do it.

Nikita Kucherov

It's easy to assume that wearing a New York Yankees cap as a member of a Tampa Bay franchise is a bold move. But in today's era of high-crown, TikTok-forward dirtbag caps, sometimes you have to reach back and play the oldies. The Yankees cap rises above team fandom—it’s its own timeless genre of hat. The Frank Sinatra of headwear. It looks good with just about anything you throw on your torso, including a cropped flannel shirt jacket I admittedly wish I had in my own closet.

Yanni Gourde

Two of the most handsome things you can possibly hold while wearing a coat and tie are a martini and a fine leather wallet. But since drinking gin on the way into your professional hockey game is a bit of a faux pas these days, Gourde opts for a not-to-be-sneezed-at coffee that sits perfectly with his brown tie and blue sportscoat. That coffee is black and bold—not a drop of cream. There’s no sugar or fat to Gourde’s game. It’s all cold-brewed nitro fuel.

J.J. Moser

Goodness, J.J. You didn’t have to do it to us like that. Moser took one look at the new NHL dress code and put on this double-breasted, pinstriped number anyway. He’s been showing up to games in good-looking suits his whole life. Why stop now? Guys like Moser know the importance of the fundamentals. They know the importance of pretending to spot a rare bird perched atop the wall of the player lot to capture the perfect jawline. They’re pros. And the pros will never leave Two Minutes for Suiting.