Burns, Karlsson Talk New Haircuts, Young Sharks

Both Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson came into San Jose Sharks training camp with a fresh do.

Burns, known for his Chewbacca beard, kept the beard but shaved his head over the summer. Karlsson, known for his flowing mane, went short.

Did the San Jose Sharks’ top defensemen meet at the salon this summer?

“No, it kind of just happened,” Karlsson laughed. “He showed up with a shaved head and he still has his beard.”

“I used to shave my head all the time,” Burns noted, before quipping, “feels great in the morning.”

Um, slow news day? Why am I spending so much time on the hair of a couple hockey players?

Well, it’s not just any hockey players’ hair. Burns might have the most famous hair in the sport — famous enough, he has a partnership with Great Clips. Karlsson was voted best hair in the NHL by the NHLPA in 2019.

So while it might just be a coincidence that two of the most recognizable heads in hockey cut their hair at the same exact time, it’s newsworthy — at least in the world of hockey, Burns and Karlsson are style icons.

“I think it’s been five or six years since I did it last,” Karlsson said. “Just about that time.”

Burns on Ferraro, Karlsson on Eklund

Not surprisingly, Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson had little to say about teammate Evander Kane, who’s under investigation for sexual assault and domestic battery. It was also reported over the summer that San Jose Sharks teammates weren’t happy with Kane’s flouting of team rules last season.

Would Kane be welcome back in the locker room, if cleared of his estranged wife Anna Kane’s allegations?

“If you’re part of the team,” Burns offered, “you’re part of the team.”

What’s your reaction to the Kane investigation?

“We’re here to focus on the things that we can control,” Karlsson said, “and everything other than that is out of our hands.”

Both veterans, however, were more than happy to talk about a pair of San Jose Sharks youngsters.

Burns said of his defensive partner, 23-year-old Mario Ferraro:

“He’s like my least mature child off the ice. The most energy. There’s nothing that hasn’t been said about Mario. I think his energy is infectious.

“Just a really good human being who has fun with everything. He speaks a lot, we communicate about a lot of different things. He’s very, very poised and mature for his age.

“He’s really into a positive way of thinking and just trying to make everybody else around them better. That’s a really good quality that he has, he’s a guy that kind of worries about everybody else.”

Karlsson said of fellow Swede and San Jose 2021 first-round pick William Eklund:

“He’s a great kid. I played against his dad, back in the day, who I know a little bit more probably. He’s a great person as well. So I know he most likely had a great upbringing.

“He’s a humble kid that’s not afraid to work hard and do what it takes. And that’s all you can ask for from a kid in position that he’s in.”