Joe Thornton’s pre-playoff beard delivered bad karma halfway through the regular season.
The Sharks veteran watched a clump of his brown-and-gray beard hit the ice after dropping gloves with Maple Leafs center Nazem Kadri just two minutes into their game Thursday night. The players exchanged blows at center ice before falling to their knees and grasping for leverage over the other.
The real victim of the final scuffle, a tuft of Thornton’s scraggly hair, appeared on camera beneath one of the officials right before he separated the fighters.
Sharks backup goalie Aaron Dell used his glove to transport the hair back to the team’s bench, a sight that didn’t seem to faze any of his teammates.
While most NHL players grow their beards during playoff season, as is hockey tradition, Thornton has been sporting his facial hair since setting it free during the 2015-16 season.
The Maple Leafs eventually defeated the Sharks 3-2 in a shootout, with Kadri scoring one of Toronto’s two goals in the second period.