On Friday morning, the New York Yankees announced that they were trimming their facial hair policy.
Per owner Hal Steinbrenner, it is the "appropriate time to move beyond the familiar comfort of our former policy."
That brings us to the New York Islanders, the only team in the NHL with a clean-shaven policy.
For those who do not know, Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello was very close with the late George Steinbrenner, the owner of the Yankees.
The Yankees have a parent company called YankeeNets LLC, which is also the parent company of the then-New Jersey and now Brooklyn Nets and the New Jersey Devils, buying the hockey team in 2000.
At the time, Lamoriello was general manager of the New Jersey Devils, holding that position since 1987.
Upon the acquisition of the Devils, Steinbrenner named Lamoriello CEO and chairman of the team, along with naming him vice-chairman and CEO of the Nets.
Lamoriello held his role with the Nets until 2004, when Jeffrey Vanderbeek, the executive vice president of Lehman Brothers, bought the Devils from YankeeNets LLC.
“For whatever reason, we became fairly close and spent considerable time (together) at different times. He was the sole individual responsible for me taking over the Nets when that transpired. His support throughout all of those years was just exceptional. He had me become part of the Yankee family. He was never afraid to say what he thought, which is what I admired about him,” Lamoriello said. “He was committed to the organization, he was committed to the logo, and he had strong beliefs. He followed through the best he could.” (H/t NHL.com's Mike Morreale).
The Hockey News - Behind Islanders Lou Lamoriello's Clean-Cut Policy & His Correlating Relationship With Late New York Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner
There's a reason why Lou Lamoriello has the rules he has. He takes after his old friend, the late George Steinbrenner, whose rules are still in place with the New York Yankees despite his passing in 2010.
So, it's clear that George had a dramatic impact on Lamoriello's operations, and the clean-shaven policy is a clear example.
The question is, will the Islanders be loosening their rules after the announcement?
The likely answer is no, with Lamoriello still running the club, not like with the Yankees, where George's son is in charge.
You talk to the players about the policy, most recently forward Anthony Duclair, who had to cut his dreadlocks off. Despite outside noise, Duclair understood the rule and, given that he signed knowing the rule, made it clear he ws all for it.
The Hockey News - Knowing Lamoriello’s Rules, Anthony Duclair Cuts Hair, Shaves Beard Ahead Of First Training Camp With Islanders
Anthony Duclair says goodbye to his dreads and beard.
I spoke with Islanders forward Matt Martin this summer after Lamoriello received hate for Duclair cutting his hair. He gave a great answer about Lamoriello's rules.
"It's not to show dominance," Martin said. "He has his reasons as to why we do everything we do."
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