NHL Superstars Share Their Thoughts on the Upcoming Season

As the NHL prepares for the 2025-26 season, ESPN's Kristen Shilton and Greg Wyshynski caught up with some of the league's biggest stars during the NHL Player Media Tour near Las Vegas. Here’s what they had to say about the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), their favorite cheat meals, pregame pump-up tunes, and more.

Favorite Cheat Meals

• Charlie McAvoy (Boston Bruins): "I had a massive plate of chicken wings on Sunday to watch some NFL football. I went honey buffalo and garlic parm. It's so good."
• Mathew Barzal (New York Islanders): "A burger from 7th Street in New York."
• Connor Bedard (Chicago Blackhawks): "Probably a burger and fries."
• Seth Jarvis (Carolina Hurricanes): "Pizza. Domino's. Unbelievable. Everything there."

Thoughts on the New CBA

• Seth Jarvis: "I appreciate that training camp is a little bit shorter. I'm not the biggest fan of camp, so that'll be good."
• Jake Oettinger (Dallas Stars): "The relaxed dress code is cool. I think our Finnish players are definitely gonna take advantage."
• Jack Hughes (New Jersey Devils): "Shorter preseason is probably the biggest thing. You'd rather play more regular-season games than have a long preseason."

Pregame Hype Music

• Seth Jarvis: "I don't have one. And they keep me away from the Aux cord in the room, anyway."
• Brady Skjei (Nashville Predators): "I like old-school Drake. Like, 'Headlines' Drake. That's my vibe."
• Jack Hughes: "My most hyped song I would go with is probably 'Best of You,' Foo Fighters."

Playoff Format Preferences

• Alex DeBrincat (Detroit Red Wings): "I think it's nice the way it is. You've got to beat the best to be the best."
• Victor Hedman (Tampa Bay Lightning): "I would do 1-through-8 again. We get to play the same teams pretty much every time in the wild card."
• Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche): "I feel like all the players want back to 1-to-8. I understand the playoff format now."

Weird Equipment Quirks

• Sam Reinhart (Florida Panthers): "The weirdest thing is probably moving my helmet around all the time before a faceoff."
• Brady Skjei: "I wear these massive foam-like donuts in the front of my skates to prevent lace bite."
• Jordan Eberle (Seattle Kraken): "I'm very particular about my gloves. I'll change my left glove and keep my right glove."

Stay tuned for more updates and insights as the NHL season approaches!