Lou Lamoriello Facial Hair Policy Debate
Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. Lou Lamoriello and facial hair.
Lamoriello is an old-school guy, but he has some rules that seem to be outdated. One of those rules is not allowing players to grow facial hair during the regular season. Let’s discuss it.
Why Does Lamoriello Have This Policy?
Hockey is a team sport. The role of the individual is arguably less important in hockey than football, baseball or basketball. The goal on the ice is cohesion, which is why hockey players practice learning the same systems, strategies and plays in order to be on the same page at all times.
Lamoriello has the power to make and enforce rules for his team, and if players don’t like it, they can either give in or face the consequences of disobeying a hockey legend. Lamoriello’s goal is uniformity. Nobody will be given the opportunity to undermine the team by placing themselves above the team as a whole.
But would it really be such a big deal to let players do something as trivial as growing facial hair? You wouldn’t think so, but it isn’t the big things that separate the good from the great. It’s the little things, and given his success, Lamoriello might know some things we don’t. It isn’t uncommon for certain businesses to have rules about appearance that they strictly enforce, and the Islanders are no different.
Why Does it Matter?
It doesn’t appear as though the rule is a huge issue for anybody who plays for Lamoriello, although if it were, we probably wouldn’t know. Nick Leddy immediately started growing his beard after leaving the Islanders, as if it was a missing part of his identity. Cal Clutterbuck’s long-gone mustache was a fan-favorite before the Lamoriello-Trotz era began, as was Kyle Palmieri’s beard — he had to shave it when he was acquired by the Islanders via trade on April 7, 2021.
Hockey players are individuals and individuals generally don’t like to follow arbitrary rules and ordinances. They are capable of doing things for themselves and should be allowed to grow facial hair if they want to. It doesn’t make the team any worse. Players don’t need to look exactly the same to perform cohesively on the ice together.
The players who know what they’re getting into — those who sign with the organization with an understanding of the rules that are already in place — have little justification for complaint. But those who were on the team before the rules and those who were traded to the team have to adhere to a policy they may feel is unnecessary.
Although Lamoriello has the power to enforce these rules, that doesn’t mean that players can’t take offense to them or challenge them. They aren’t obliged to follow his rules, but the consequences could be devastating and would not be worth the risk. No player would be willing to die on that hill, gaining a bad reputation and likely getting benched, just so they could keep their facial hair.
Perhaps the issue is unimportant or I have blown out of proportion. Lamoriello is a well-respected general manager throughout the NHL. Niccolò Machiavelli taught us that it is better, as a leader, to be feared than loved, although both would be ideal.
Enforcing rules is a good way to find out where those who answer to you stand. If they follow the rules, they will stick with you through thick and thin, even when you’re wrong. These are good people to have on your team.
Players on the Islanders are loyal and many have stated the respect they have for Lamoriello. While they are the ones who have to shave every day, as an outsider, it is important to nonetheless analyze the full situation, consider Lamoriello’s rules and the context behind them and if we don’t like them, respectfully agree to disagree.
