NASHVILLE-- Oliver Bonk threw caution to the wind and went with the flow on Wednesday, allowing his hairdo to be one of the statements of the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Bridgestone Arena.
The prospect went with the mullet, a tribute to his dad, Radek, who sported one of the best business-in-the-front, party-in-the-back haircuts in the history of hockey when he was drafted 29 years ago to the day at the Hartford Civic Center.
"I wanted to do it as a tribute to him. He has been a big part of my hockey career and my life, so I wanted to give some props to him, " said Oliver Bonk, who was selected No. 22 by the Philadelphia Flyers. "He had a bit more flow than I did. I tried my best, but I didn't have enough time."
The defenseman from London of the Ontario Hockey League got his mullet shaped last month, right before the NHL Draft Combine in Buffalo. He returned home from the barber, shocking his dad with his fashion choice.
"I came back home and he was like, 'Oh my God, what do you do? ' And then he was happy about it."
The pride was tempered by a warning from father to son. The message: You better like the haircut because it will follow you forever.
Radek Bonk was selected at No. 3 by the Ottawa Senators and went on to score 497 points (194 goals, 303 assists) in 969 regular-season NHL games, but he is most remembered for the mullet he modeled on draft day, a cut so majestic it has spawned its own social media presence with the @bonksmullet on Twitter.
"I have to agree though, mine was much better," Radek Bonk told TSN on Wednesday. "I am so happy for him. Every kid is chasing this dream and this one of the steps he wanted to achieve. Good for him."
Oliver says his dad still gets teased about his fashion statement as a teen, even though Radek now wears his hair high and tight, getting a haircut every few weeks, according to Oliver.
"He's still scarred from all his friends bringing [the mullet] up," Oliver said with a laugh, adding that parties are prime time for the mullet mockery.
"Someone always brings it up and we all make fun of him," he said.
Now, Oliver is willing to be the butt of a few jokes to show his dad how much he has meant to his hockey journey.
