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SPORTSThursday 11 February 2016
Grin and bear it: NHL players say losing teeth part of game
LARRY LAGE
AP Hockey Writer
When Brent Burns packs his
bags for road trips, the San
Jose Sharks defenseman
often leaves something be-
hind: His cosmetic teeth.
“I don’t wear them of-
ten,” he said. “I usually find later.” pearly whites, though, are
them in a drawer a couple
months down the road and
put them somewhere safe,
forget where that is, and
find them a couple months
later.”
Burns, a happy-go-lucky
guy, said he is missing three
of his real teeth and a
fourth is “hanging on by a
thread.” He is holding out
hope it won’t join his other
missing Chiclets.
“I need that one for corn
on the cob,” Burns said with
a gap-filled smile.
Missing teeth have been as-
sociated with hard-nosed
hockey — for better and
for worse — for decades,
becoming a stereotype of
the game even with some
players, like Burns, embrac-
ing it as a rite of passage
or badge of honor. Gordie
Howe, Bobby Clarke, Ken
Daneyko, Stan Mikita, Bob-
by Hull — all have grins fa-
mous for what’s not there.
Chicago’s Duncan Keith
had seven teeth knocked
out by a puck in the Western
Conference final-clinching
game in 2011 against San
Jose and quipped after-
Teenager Taylor Fritz wins opener in Memphis open
American Taylor Fritz hits a
winner against fellow Ameri-
can Michael Mmoh during the
second day of the Memphis
Open tennis tournament at
the Racquet Club in Memphis,
Tenn., Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016.
Associated Press
MEMPHIS, Tennessee (AP)
— Teenager Taylor Fritz, a
promising American, won
his opening-round match

In this Sunday, Jan. 31, 2016, file photo, Pacific Division de- masks to their helmets. And ideal,” added Pronger. “I
fenseman Brent Burns (88), of the San Jose Sharks, talks with a that, in the NHL at least, is had a nice set of teeth.
referee during the NHL hockey All-Star championship game in not going to happen any Now, I’ve got new ones.
Nashville, Tenn. When Brent Burns packs his bags for road trips, time soon if ever. And, I broke my jaw and
the Sharks defenseman usually leaves some cosmetic teeth be- If a player chooses to wear you probably can’t tell I
hind. “I don’t wear them often,” he said. “I usually find them in a mouth guard, he may had 50 stitches here and 27
a drawer a couple months down the road and put them some- help his chances of not there.”
where safe, forget where that is, and find them a couple months having a concussion. His Unlike Byfuglien, Los Ange-
les Kings defenseman Drew
still at risk from a puck, a Doughty doesn’t wear his
Associated Press stick, the ice or a check cosmetic tooth, which he
into the boards. calls “a flipper” because
ward: “You’ve got leave it Hall of Famer Chris Pronger “I’ve pulled teeth out of he said it makes his lisp
all on the ice.” has great-looking chop- mouth guards,” Detroit Red worse. Doughty had all of
Many casual fans might as- pers, though they’re not Wings equipment manager his teeth until losing one
sume all players are missing the ones he was born with, Paul Boyer said. “They’re last year and another one
a few teeth — not true — and Winnipeg Jets defen- not designed to keep the early this season. One got
but there is far more inter- seman Dustin Byfuglien teeth in the mouth.” knocked out by a puck and
est in keeping the originals can pop a perfect-looking When players do get hit in the other was jarred out of
than there was in the 1980s, tooth in and out like he’s a the mouth with a stick or his mouth by a high stick.
a time Kings coach Darryl magician. puck during a game, they Doughty says the problems
Sutter recalls seeing play- Despite player safety being are moments away from have contributed to his top
ers writing their numbers on scrutinized by the league getting professional treat- lip drooping onto the left
coffee cups, putting their more than ever and tech- ment from a team dentist side of his bottom lip.
teeth in the cups and set- nological advances in and perhaps an oral sur- “It’s kind of got a bunch of
ting them on a shelf before equipment, hockey players geon. The Nashville Preda- stuff built up in here so it’s
games. are going to lose teeth. The tors and Los Angeles Kings always lazy,” he said.
“The joke was switching only way to help players are among the teams with Doughty also acknowledg-
teeth around,” Sutter said keep their teeth is to force a dental chair in their are- es he has been lax about
with a sly grin. them to attach full-cage nas. protecting his teeth, and
“We’ve got full coverage, brain, to some extent by
too,” Byfuglien cracked. simply wearing a mouth
Dental care is one of the guard.
progressive moves made “I’ve been told I should
by the NHL, according to many, many times,” he
Predators general manag- said. “My team doctors
er David Poile. When Poile want me to wear one.
was an administrative assis- With my teeth being
tant for the Atlanta Flames knocked out — one with
in the early ‘70s, he said, a puck in the face and
he doesn’t recall the team one was a high stick — I
even having a dentist. don’t really think the mouth
“An oral surgeon who can guard would help in those
also do plastic surgery is situations. q

in the Memphis Open on Fritz finished last year as the 6-3, 6-7(3), 7-5 victory over since 2014. The match
Tuesday night beating Mi- world’s top-ranked junior American Austin Krajicek ended prematurely in the
chael Mmoh 6-3, 6-4. and opened the season and Dzumhur beat Ameri- second set when Ebden
It was the second ATP World with a victory at a lower- can Tim Smyczek, 6-3, 4-6, retired with a left leg injury.
Tour win for the 18-year- level Tour event in Austra- 6-3. Laaksonen plays Querrey,
old. Fritz relied on 10 aces lia. He also qualified for the With the win, Millman sur- who won 2010 Memphis
and solid ground game Australian Open, but lost passed his match-win total tournament, in Wednes-
to move into the second in the opening round to from a year ago. He went day’s second round.
round, where he’ll play No. American Jack Sock in five 5-9 in 2015. He is 6-4 after He said he realized early
2 seed Steve Johnson. sets. defeating Krajicek. in the match that Ebden
The tournament’s top four In other first-round matches Millman said he gained was unable to run effec-
seeds - defending champi- Tuesday, No. 7 seed John confidence behind a tively from side to side and
on Kei Nishikori and Ameri- Millman and No. 8 Damir strong finish to last season. couldn’t get to drop shots.
cans Johnson, Donald Dzumhur advanced. Also, He opened his year with a Laaksonen said playing in
Young and Sam Querrey — Spain’s Marcel Granollers third-round finish at the Aus- qualifying gave him an ad-
received first-round byes. beat Malek Jaziri of Tunisia, tralian Open. He made the vantage.
Fritz, ranked 145th, rose 6-1, 6-3; quarterfinals of last week’s “It helps, it’s always easier to
nearly 1,000 spots in the Swiss qualifier Henri Laak- ATP Tour event in Montpel- start the first round if you’ve
ATP rankings last year and sonen defeated Austra- lier, France. gone through qualifying,”
won for the first time in the lian Matthew Ebden, 6-1, Laaksonen came through Laaksonen said. “You get
U.S. 3-0 (retired) and Ricardas last weekend’s two-rounds used to (the speed of) the
“It feels good,” Fritz said. “I Berankis beat Dudi Sela, of qualifying to reach the court and the (condition)
played a really solid match 7-6(5), 6-2, 7-5. main draw and claim his of the (tennis) balls. I like
all the way through.” Millman advanced with a first ATP Tour-level victory the way it is playing.”q