PITTSBURGH - It was a few weeks after being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins when Justin Schultz lost one of his front teeth.
The 25-year-old defenceman had been carrying the puck up the ice and just as he chipped it into the offensive zone, an opposing player’s stick accidentally chipped loose a Chiclet. The resulting effect is that the gap-toothed Schultz, who also has an unkempt, greasy, black beard from an extended playoff run, looks more like a castaway these days than a hockey player.
In some ways, it’s a fitting look for a player who was cast out of Edmonton at the trade deadline but has since found refuge in Pittsburgh.