Story Summary
The latest NHL Short Shifts Power Rankings have put the spotlight on five lighter moments from the opening days of the season, led by Columbus Blue Jackets defenceman Zach Werenski arriving at the club’s home opener with his five-month-old son, Hudson.
Hudson wore a miniature Blue Jackets knit hat and sweater, along with knit skates, as he joined his father on the blue carpet.
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin placed second after taking part in an aura-reading video at media day. Toronto Maple Leafs rookie Gavin McKenna’s NHL debut produced another family moment, with his mother Krystal becoming emotional while watching warm-ups. Buffalo Sabres forward Zach Benson’s newly revealed mohawk and a Washington Capitals video in which players interviewed their dogs completed the five selections.
The ranking is intentionally playful, capturing the personality around the game as teams begin a new NHL campaign.
Key Facts
- Columbus Blue Jackets defenceman Zach Werenski brought his five-month-old son, Hudson, to the blue carpet before the club’s home opener.
- Hudson wore a miniature Blue Jackets knit hat and sweater, plus knit skates, while being held by Werenski.
- Pittsburgh Penguins veteran forward Evgeni Malkin appeared in a media-day video in which an artist described his largely orange aura as representing “creativity and sensuality.”
- Toronto Maple Leafs rookie Gavin McKenna made his NHL debut, and his mother, Krystal, was shown watching his warm-up while becoming emotional.
- Krystal McKenna said: “What the hell, my son is in the NHL. It’s wild.”
- Buffalo Sabres forward Zach Benson unveiled a mohawk after visiting a barber shop before the season opener.
- Washington Capitals players interviewed their dogs in a team video, asking them hockey-related questions.
- The Short Shifts list is updated every Friday and uses an intentionally subjective, light-hearted criterion rather than Xs and Os.
IHM Discussion
There is no attempt to disguise this as a measure of team strength. The ranking’s stated premise is to set aside tactics and judge the week by the moments that resonate away from the scoreboard. That distinction matters: Werenski’s appearance with Hudson, McKenna’s family milestone and Benson’s haircut are not competing hockey achievements, but snapshots of the people and routines surrounding the sport.
The strongest thread is family. Werenski’s blue-carpet arrival offered a simple opening-night image, while Krystal McKenna’s reaction carried the significance of her son reaching the NHL. Malkin’s puzzled response to the aura reading, meanwhile, showed a veteran forward in a deliberately unfamiliar setting. The Capitals’ dogs and Benson’s mohawk maintained that informal tone.
For clubs and players, these moments sit alongside the formal business of a season without needing to be presented as something more consequential. They give supporters an accessible view of players as parents, sons, pet owners and personalities during a busy opening period.
Why It Matters
The NHL season generates attention well beyond games, results and roster decisions. A weekly collection of off-ice clips gives supporters a different entry point, especially when the moments involve a player’s family or a rookie reaching a career landmark.
McKenna’s debut is the clearest hockey milestone in this group, and Krystal McKenna’s reaction underlines its personal scale. Werenski bringing Hudson to the home-opener blue carpet similarly connects an established NHL defenceman’s public appearance with a family occasion. The remaining entries show how teams can use pre-season and opening-week content to reveal character without making claims about on-ice performance.
Mini Q&A
Why did Zach Werenski top the ranking?
The Columbus Blue Jackets defenceman arrived at the home opener carrying his five-month-old son, Hudson, who was dressed in miniature Blue Jackets gear.
What was Gavin McKenna’s mother’s reaction to his NHL debut?
Krystal McKenna became emotional while watching warm-ups and said: “What the hell, my son is in the NHL. It’s wild.”
What was Zach Benson’s new look?
The Buffalo Sabres forward revealed a mohawk after a visit to the barber shop before the season opener.
Coach Mark Comment
Opening week is often presented through systems, special teams and line combinations, but the best supporting content can be much simpler. The Werenski and McKenna moments work because the hockey context is already clear: a home opener and an NHL debut. The family reaction supplies the emotion without needing extra explanation, while Malkin and Benson show the value of players being comfortable enough to lean into lighter material.
What Comes Next
The Short Shifts ranking is updated every Friday, providing the next checkpoint for another selection of lighter NHL moments from the week.
IHM Final View
This was a deliberately small-scale ranking, but it captured the human side of opening week effectively. Zach Werenski and Hudson supplied the leading image, Gavin McKenna’s debut brought a meaningful family response, and the remaining clips kept the tone light. It is a reminder that the first days of an NHL season are shaped by more than the action on the ice.