Lou Lamoriello’s rules have carried over to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
One thing that I’ve been thinking about lately in regards to Lamoriello’s rules and the Toronto Maple Leafs is, do I really care?
My esteemed colleague, James Tanner, wrote a similar article on this subject not too long ago and you can read it here.
I fully respect everyone’s opinion but I’m going to give a different perspective on the subject than Tanner’s.
That being said, let’s talk about a few of Lou’s rules that he’s instilled with the Leafs.
Chances are, we’re only going to cover the major ones, so hair and numbers.
At least those are the two major ones for me.
Long Hair, Don’t Care
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One of the bigger rules that players are to follow is in regards to hair length, whether that’s on their face or on top of their head.
Do I really care that Matt Martin or William Nylander had to cut their hair?
No.
Do I care that Timothy Liljegren will have to cut his?
I’ll let you answer that one for yourself.
As for Leo Komarov’s awesome handlebar mustache, I’m a little sad it can’t make an appearance other than the playoffs, but it doesn’t keep me up at night.
The fact of the matter is that some companies have some pretty strict dress codes that transpire into personal appearance beyond clothing.
There’s nothing wrong with a little facial hair or long hair in general, but the company that is the Leafs doesn’t allow it.
So what?
As long as they can play the game, then I’m happy.
And I like to rock a beard myself, so I’m obviously not being biased.
A Numbers Game
The other really big rule that Lou has that some people dislike is how high a players number can be.
For instance, when Mike Cammalleri went to the New Jersey Devils, he wasn’t allowed to pick his usual #13 because the team wasn’t allowed to give that number out.
One of Lou’s rules.
Basically, players aren’t allowed to have high numbers on the back of their jerseys because it’s too flashy.
Sure, I’d probably like to see Mitchell Marner rock a number in the 90’s again, but it is what it is.
In Lamoriello’s mind, it’s about representing the crest on the front of the jersey and what it stands for rather than wearing your name on the back.
Metaphorically speaking, of course, I know the players quite literally wear their names on their jerseys.
In the end, I think some of his rules can help teach discipline, accountability and ultimately bring the team closer together.
It’s a special thing like this to have in place and it’s working, so why fix something that ain’t broke?
Thoughts are welcomed, but written comments would be more appropriate.