"Duclair cut his dreads for nothing" "A symbol of liberation?": NHL fans react as Islanders stars flaunt bearded look after Lou Lamoriello firing

New York Islanders players drew attention at the 2025 Islanders Golf Outing on Monday. Mathew Barzal, Anthony Duclair, Anders Lee and Ilya Sorokin, among others, had beards at the Glen Oaks Club. The event supported the Islanders Children’s Foundation and marked the start of the 2025-26 season.

Photos from the event circulated on social media. The timing followed the team’s decision in April not to renew Lou Lamoriello’s contract. He was known for his strict grooming rules with the Devils, Maple Leafs and Isles. Players like Kyle Palmieri and Duclair previously shaved facial hair to follow his policy.

Many fans noticed the players’ new look, and the beards stood out without those rules in place. B/R Open Ice posted their photos on X.

“Lou Lamoriello is off the Island and the Isles immediately threw away the razors 😭,” B/R Open Ice tweeted on Tuesday.

Fans shared their reactions.

“A symbol of liberation? 😅,” one fan wrote.

“Duclair cut his dreads for nothing 🤣🤣🤣,” a fan said.

"Duke is going to go off for 80 points this year with his beard and dreads back," another fan wrote.

For players, the golf outing was a charity event. For fans, it became a sign of change, and they saw the beards as a small but clear difference without Lamoriello.

Here are more fan reactions.

"Welcome to the 21st century. Lou's facial hair phobia always belonged in the 1950s," a fan commented.

"It ran its course but back in 2018 the isles needed a few years of boot camp to get rid of the country club," one fan tweeted.

"No wonder they sucked. Lou was stuck in the dust bowl era," another fan said.

Islanders hired Mathieu Darche after Lou Lamoriello's departure

The New York Islanders hired Mathieu Darche in May as general manager and executive vice president, replacing Lou Lamoriello. Darche spent the last three years as assistant GM and director of hockey operations of the Tampa Bay Lightning. He won the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021 with the franchise.

"I am truly honored by the opportunity to be the... general manager and executive vice president," Darche said, via NHL.com "I'd like to thank the entire ownership group for entrusting me with the hockey operations of this great franchise."

The Islanders finished 35-35-12 last season and missed the playoffs. They won the 2025 NHL draft lottery, and Darche selected Matthew Schaefer.

About the author

Ankit is an NHL journalist at Sportskeeda with over 3 years of experience in the writing industry. He has expertise in sports, product, and travel content writing. His interest in ice hockey was piqued after watching Sidney Crosby play and he has been passionately following the game since then. Ankit admires Crosby’s personality and hockey IQ, and when he crossed the 1,500 points tally, Ankit was among the biggest fans to celebrate the occasion.

An Edmonton Oilers fan because of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Ankit also admires the Pittsburgh Penguins due to Crosby and the Colorado Avalanche for Nathan MacKinnon. He is also a fan of Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr.

Holding a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Language, Ankit believes his education has helped him develop a knack for presenting information in a precise and compelling manner. He only sources information from credible avenues and trusted people from his network for his articles.

When he is not watching or writing about the NHL, Ankit loves listening to music and reading books.

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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez