Untangling the infamous 'hockey hair' look in Victoria

It's a stereotype that hockey players have to have good hair.

There are variations to the "hockey hair" look – which one barber in Victoria jokingly told CTV News was an industry term – but staples remain the same. There's volume up top and long hair growing past the sides, as well as partial ear coverage.

Matty Conrad, who owns Victory Barber in Victoria, has tamed the manes of famous players like Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Brent Burns.

His take is that hockey hair has a practical purpose.

"It's kind of like a speedometer," he said. "You can almost feel how fast you're going when your hair's flicking out under your helmet. They do it for the same reason insects have antenna."

Ryan Jackson is another professional who cuts hockey hair for a living. He says he's seen many a faceoff on the barbershop floor.

"Hockey player wants 'hockey hair,' mom doesn’t want to have to deal with hockey hair," he said. "Then the gloves come off."

Love it or hate it, hockey hair is a coveted tradition.

Even in the 1970s and 1980s, the Great One himself had a great head of hair, and decades later it doesn't look like the trend shows any signs of slowing down.