Flashing a smile that's minus a few white and pearlies coupled with disheveled hockey hair doesn't exactly scream preening GQ fashion plate. Still, the National Hockey League has its share of well-dressed gents who look really well put together in their off-ice uniforms.
Hockey heroes have a long storied history of netting hotties. The pioneer of hockey player as trendsetting playa was Derek Sanderson. The Niagara Falls native was briefly the world's highest paid athlete scoring a $2.65 million deal, more than the day's high roller Pelé. Due to injuries, his contract was bought out for a cool million but an outsized salary was secondary to his sartorial interests.
Sanderson's most enduring contribution was his impact on the NHL's style game – cruising around in a Rolls Royce, donning Nehru suits, fur coats and flashing diamond bling. The daddy-o of hockey's sharp dressed man movement could have fit in with the Mod Squad. The captain of the Bruins fashion police once even toyed with wearing white skates and is credited with kick-starting the NHL's grooviest moustache phase. Cosmo feted the heartthrob in a ten sexiest list, he appeared on Johnny Carson and Merv Griffin and notoriously quipped that his pre-game chow of choice was "steak and a blonde."ť Today's de rigeur NHLers owe Sanderson props for breaking the ice.
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