Six theories on why penalties (and power plays) are dramatically down this NHL season

Six theories on why penalties (and power plays) are dramatically down this NHL season

Are players playing cleaner? Are referees swallowing their whistles? Players, execs, and analysts offer ideas.

Six theories on why penalties (and power plays) are dramatically down this NHL season - WeirdReads

Greg WyshynskiMar 28, 2025, 07:30 AM ET Close Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer. Power plays in the NHL haven’t been this dominant in decades. The average conversion rate this season was 21.6% entering Tuesday night’s games, according to ESPN Research. That’s the best rate since the 1985-86 season, back when Wayne Gretzky’s Edmonton Oilers were scoring at will against helpless penalty kills. This season’s power-play success is part of a…