Almost every sport has traditions, rituals and items for good luck. For example, in football, players may point to the sky after a touchdown or dump the cooler of Gatorade on the coach after a win. Soccer players do the goal kick chant and some basketball players spin the ball on their index fingers before taking their shots. Even individual sports teams have their own antics such as the Steelers with the Terrible Towel. However, one sports tradition that isn’t well known is what I call the ‘Hockey Hair’.

This ritual can be seen at all hockey levels such as high school, college and in the NHL. ‘Hockey Hair’ is done for major events or milestones. This could be done to new members in high school who just made the team, typically underclassmen, or at any level when the team is going to play-offs or another major event. What typically happens is the team member(s) will either bleach, dye or cut their hair in a bizarre way or just shave the hair off altogether. 

I have never been a big fan of sports and some of their traditions but specifically this one.  It is more permanent than wearing a lucky jersey or yelling a chant. As people, we identify with our hair very much. At least I know I do. Yes this tradition isn’t technically harmful or seen as such but I feel that it is. 

If you bleach your hair, you can color correct it. If you cut it in a wacky way you can always fix it, and a shaved head will grow back. Some argue that it doesn’t matter because the players wear helmets, but they have to wear their hair like this for days at a time until the game is over, they can correct the problem or wait until hair grows back. A few players might be okay with this but sometimes when underclassmen just made the varsity team they can be coerced into doing this.  I don’t agree with traditions that can affect the wellbeing of players and cause embarrassment. 

In the final analysis,  I am not the biggest fan of sports nor their traditions, but especially the ‘Hockey Hair’. Sports play a large role in our culture and they contain a lot of harmless traditions and rituals that are fun, but not this one.