GM Lou Lamoriello of the NY Islanders and forward Anthony Duclair
Photo credit: Markerzone

Anthony Duclair of the New York Islanders has posted a picture of how he was forced to cut his hair by GM Lou Lamoriello which is now being viewed as a racist move.

New York Islanders GM and President of Hockey Operations Lou Lamoriello has his way of running a hockey team, and his rules haven’t changed for decades. However, on Wednesday, he received major backlash on social media when free agent signing forward Anthony Duclair posted a photo on Instagram with a crying emoji that showed that he had cut off his dreadlocks ahead of his first training camp with his new team.

The fact that the 28-year-old forward had to follow Lamoriello’s rules shouldn’t surprise anyone, and definitely not Anthony Duclair, who recently signed a four-year, $14 million contract this off-season to be reunited with coach Patrick Roy that he had in the juniors. The photo sparked major debate about the rules the 81-year-old Lou Lamoriello continues to enforce.

That feeling was shared by others, who seemed to attempt to draw in cultural meaning and societal norms to the photo above. It may not be as serious as it seems, as Lou Lamoriello has these rules for every player, regardless of skin color.

Lou Lamoriello’s rules are about the team and not the individual. You can disagree with it, not like it, and even think it is horribly outdated and irrelevant, but it is not racist, as everyone must follow them to lead to team bonding.

The rules apply to everybody. It doesn’t matter if you are the head coach or the new depth player signing. Patrick Roy cut his beard when he was hired last January. Matt Martin had hair past his shoulders, but that wasn’t allowed when he signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs a few years ago where Lou Lamoriello was the GM at the time, and his look hasn’t changed since.

Another strange rule Lou Lamoriello has is that he doesn’t like players wearing high numbers which is why many in the past have had to change their numbers from high to low. As strange as this may seem, it’s his way of forming team chemistry so that everyone feels even.

There is one exception to Lou Lamoriello’s rules, and that is that in a deep playoff run, he does allow his players to grow a nice big beard.