Who was the last NHL player to play without a helmet?

Craig MacTavish was the last NHL player to play without a helmet, appearing helmetless through the 1996–97 season.

The NHL announced a mandatory helmet rule for players entering the league beginning in 1979–80. A grandfather clause allowed players who had already signed professional contracts to continue playing without helmets, provided they accepted the league’s waiver conditions.

MacTavish had entered professional hockey before the cutoff and chose to continue without head protection for most of his career. He briefly wore a helmet during the 1988–89 season, but returned to playing bareheaded afterward. He retired after finishing the 1996–97 season with the St. Louis Blues.

The question refers to players, not officials. Some NHL referees continued working without helmets after players were required to wear them; Mick McGeough was the last such referee. MacTavish also won four Stanley Cups as a player, three with Edmonton and one with the New York Rangers.