New-sprouting lip fuzz is for a good cause

By MICHAEL RUSSO, Star Tribune

Last update: November 5, 2009 - 11:56 PM

Wild players didn't lose their razors. They're not trying to make a fashion statement.

The moustaches growing on more than a dozen Wild players' faces are for a good cause. Movember (movember.com) is the month men grow moustaches for 30 days to raise awareness and funds to help find a cure for prostate and testicular cancer. The money raised by movember.com is split between the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Defenseman Nick Schultz introduced the idea to teammates in honor of his friend Casey Heintz's father, Hugh, who is battling prostate cancer. Schultz registered the Wild as the Minnesota Mo Bro's and made a donation on behalf of the team.

"My grandfather's had prostate cancer before, so cancer in general has been involved in my family, so I thought it would be kind of fun for the guys to do," Schultz said.

In the Wild's changing room are strict rules: no beards, no goatees. There's even a style guide with different types like, the "Trucker," "Abracadabra," "Rock Star," and well, "Lame."

Right now, Schultz's is "Lame," or a normal-looking 'stache. It's also so light, he's planning on using Just For Men hair dye to darken it.

Brent Burns looks to be growing the "Freestyler," which is a moustache that drops straight down to the chin on either side.

"He looks like [former NHL defenseman] Bill Houlder," Schultz said.

"I started with a 'Trucker,' but I decided to go to a 'Major,'" said Cal Clutterbuck, referring to a moustache that sort of looks like Billy Crudup's character in the movie, "Almost Famous."

"We're letting the flags fly. Flaunt it if you got it," Clutterbuck said, laughing.

Schultz said some of the players such as Clutterbuck, Kyle Brodziak and Greg Zanon "cheated" and began growing theirs before Nov. 1.

"But I'll accept it because we've won a couple since," Schultz said. "If we keep winning the whole month, maybe we'll have keep them because we're on to something."

Time to mend

Leading Wild goal scorer Andrew Brunette said the four off days between Saturday's victory in Pittsburgh and Thursday's game against Vancouver "couldn't have come at a better time for me personally."

Brunette's left side of his body has been hurt all season as he compensates from right knee surgery.

"For the team, we probably would have liked to have kept it rolling, but it gave me a chance to heal myself," Brunette said. "I've managed it pretty well, but I have to pay a little closer attention to it as we go on. "

Etc.

• Former Wild defenseman Willie Mitchell is not a fair-weather Twins fan. He's still a diehard despite playing for the Canucks. "Everyone in Minnesota knows how big a fan [Twins first baseman] Justin [Morneau] is of hockey," Mitchell said of his good friend. "He's always in tough here because he is a Vancouver fan, but he's also a Wild fan. He has his 1A, 1B. But for me, it's real easy. I'm not a Seattle Mariners fan or a Toronto Blue Jays fan. I am a Twins fan."

• Clutterbuck wore a microphone for FSN North during Thursday's telecast. He's a renowned trash talker, and he hates the Canucks: "Wrong game to throw a mike on me." Clutterbuck did slash Ryan Kesler's stick during warmups after Clutterbuck claimed Kesler kept skating on the Wild's side of the red line and icing the puck.

• Benoit Pouliot was scratched a third consecutive game.

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