San Jose Sharks centre Joe Thornton, 40, is the NHL’s ultimate graybeard.
But that famed long, bushy beard is no longer.
The clean-shaven Thornton was unveiled Saturday in a funny Sharks tweet in which his daughter, Ayla, does an “I Dream of Jeannie” imitation to show off the new, younger look.
The six-time All-Star’s beard had taken on a life of its own in January 2018 when Nazem Kadri, then with the Toronto Maple Leafs, ripped off a handful of Thornton’s facial hair during a fight.
Thornton, who has more than 1,500 career points, started growing the beard in 2015-16. He took a brief break at the start of the 2018-19 season when teammate Brent Burns, who has the NHL’s best facial hair, helped shave it off. Thornton didn’t like the look and stopped shaving.
No one knows when the NHL will resume because of the coronavirus pandemic, so Thornton has a chance to grow it out again.