Were Lou Lamoriello the general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the heyday of Wendel Clark, the hockey world would have been deprived of one most glorious handlebar moustaches to ever grace a rink.
So is the Maple Leafs ambassador concerned he’ll be kicked out of the alumni room now that Lamoriello has brought his clean-shaven mandate over from New Jersey?
“If you can’t grow it on your head, you get an exception,” Clark, now rocking a goatee, quipped Monday. The 48-year-old Toronto icon appeared on Dean Blundell & Co. on Sportsnet 590 The Fan to discuss, among other topics, Lamoriello’s no-facial-hair mandate.
“It’s going to be interesting to see what he divulges and what he doesn’t,” Devils goalie Cory Schneider told us after Lamoriello changed clubs. “And interesting to see what he allows.”
One thing Lamoriello is not allowing is whiskers.
Goaltender Jonathan Bernier, going with a rugged 10-o’clock shadow look for years, showed up to camp last week with a face as clean as his baby’s. He told reporters he couldn’t remember the last time he’d used a razor.
For those scoring at home, new Devils GM Ray Shero is relaxing policy a notch. He is permitting facial hair growth this season as long as it looks respectable.
“I don’t think it’s going to be as bad as everyone talks about,” Clark said.
“Lou’s had some pretty great teams over his time and some pretty great players play through that, and they all swear up and down by how Lou runs a hockey club.”
Yes, in place of beards, Lamoriello cultivated Stanley Cups — three of them — during his New Jersey tenure.
“Winning is what really matters,” Clark said, downplaying the aesthetics. “That dressing room has to stay together and stay on the same page.”
A clean sheet.
