Leafs' Bertuzzi shaves off long hair for most heartwarming reason
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Tyler Bertuzzi looked a lot different when he took to the ice for practice on Sunday.
Instead of the long, luscious locks that Leafs fans have grown accustomed to, the 28-year-old was rocking a shorter hairstyle. The Hockey News' David Alter took a snapshot of the new-look Bertuzzi, saying he was almost unrecognizable without the long flow.
Tyler Bertuzzi got a haircut and is barely recognizable. pic.twitter.com/3EbJTOjeMl
— David Alter (@dalter) February 4, 2024
The tweet got plenty of reaction from Leafs fans, who were wondering what drove the scoring winger to make the change.
Luckily, Alter was quick to get to the bottom of the question. In an interview following practice, Bertuzzi told the reporters that he had his hair cut and donated to kids with cancer.
"I donated my hair last year and the lady who does it for me is in Michigan too. So it was kind of the perfect timing again to donate to kids with cancer," said Bertuzzi.
https://t.co/1SCxzpZembhttps://t.co/1SCxzpZemb
— David Alter (@dalter) February 4, 2024
Bertuzzi, who was not in Toronto for the 2024 NHL All-Star festivities, enjoyed a part of his break in his Michigan to have this done. The hair was then donated to Wigs for Kids.
The Detroit hairstylist responsible for cutting the hair was Alyssa Bellestri. A look through her social media will show that this isn't the first time that Bertuzzi has decided to shave his hair off and donate it towards a good cause.
Bertuzzi signed a one-year $5.5 million contract with the Maple Leafs over the summer. This is his first full season with a team other than the Detroit Red Wings. In 46 games wearing blue and white, the Sudbury, Ontario native has six goals and 20 points.
Leafs fans will get a chance to see the new-look Bertuzzi on the ice on Monday when the team hosts the New York Islanders.
Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
