Detroit Red Wings' Xavier Ouellet Officially Welcomes Us To Movember

After beating the Flyers on Monday night for their 1st win of the season, the Arizona Coyotes went right back to their Arizona Coyotes ways. And that includes this sick deflection from Luke Schenn to put the Red Wings up 4-1 in the 2nd period. Down on one knee, one-handed, deflects it right upstairs. It was a thing of beauty aside from the fact that Schenn plays for the Coyotes. Happens to the best of us, also to the worst as well. But the real star of this clip? It’s not Darren Helm for winning the battle along the boards. It’s not Dylan Larkin for just getting the puck toward the net. It’s not Luke Schenn for the deflection. It’s Xavier Ouellet and this primetime stache.

xavier-ouellet

Look at that thing. It’s deadly. Women all across the greater Detroit area are probably lining up around the block to take a ride on that majestic muzzy. And with that, Xavier Ouelett officially welcomes us all to Movember. The most wonderful time of the year. The time that separates the men from the boys. A time when we must all come together to achieve a common goal. That goal, of course, is to raise money for all different sorts of cancer. The Hockey Fights Cancer campaign is run through the NHL and “unites the hockey community in support of cancer patients and their families”. The HEADstrong Foundation’s Movember(ish) campgain works to raise money for families that have been affected by cancer diagnosis and are seeking treatment in the Philadelphia area. The Mustaches For Cancer campaign directly benefits the free cancer support programming by the Gilda’s Club in Rochester for persons and families affected by the disease. So there are all sorts of ways to get involved and make an impact that Movember. But nobody said it’s going to be easy.

Why? Well because Movember is a constant battle between yourself and the other people in your life. For the first week or so, it’s all well and good. If you’re not typically a mustache guy, it’s funny to let the muzzy grow out for a while. Then as the month goes on, you start to get more concerned looks any time you walk past a mother with a small child. If you’re a single dude at the bar, good luck trying to get anybody to talk to you. And then once the end of the month rolls around, you meet the biggest obstacle of them all…. Thanksgiving. The moment you get home for Thanksgiving and your mom sees that caterpillar on your face for the first time, she acts like you just shot her or something. I don’t think anything drives a mom crazier than showing up to Thanksgiving dinner with a son who looks like he needs to stay at least 300 yards away from any playground or elementary school. Got a girlfriend and you’re meeting her family for the first time? Enjoy living in the dog house for the next month if that’s what you look like when you make your first impression.

As you can see, there are plenty of deterrents trying to stand in your way of growing out that stache for the entire month. People trying to hold you back and force you to quit. Which is why we need to band together now more than ever. Create a support group for one another and make sure those razors stay away until December 1. Here’s what I’m working with right now. Hope to see all of yours soon.

Photo on 11-1-17 at 8.46 AM

Donation Links: 

Hockey Fights Cancer

HEADstrong Foundation

Mustaches For Cancer