On this second day of the 12 Days of Avs Christmas, certain Colorado Avalanche players have a very specific request for Holiday gifts — they’d like their two front teeth.
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Hockey is a very physical came with a lot of moving parts: sticks, pucks, skates, elbows… At one time or another, players get hit in the face with all of those and more. Sometimes they get hit directly in the mouth — and that’s how the hockey smile comes to be.
The hockey smile is renowned in sports. I once heard the NHL gives retiring players a new set of teeth instead of a gold watch. That’s probably an urban legend, but for sure a stellar dental plan must be part of any contract negotiation.
With the rise in players wearing mouth guards, not so many hockey smiles are born in the NHL anymore. However, there are still a few out there — four on the Colorado Avalanche team alone.