'I'm committed': Oilers fan skips haircuts for 10 years waiting for Stanley Cup win
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
The last time Jeff Ottmeier had a haircut it was 2015.
"I would usually let my hair grow over the winter," Ottmeier said. "That day, I was like, 'OK, I'm not going to cut my hair again until the Oilers win the Stanley Cup.'"
Having worn his hair long in the past, he wasn't worried about it getting a little long.
But he wasn't expecting it to grow for almost a decade.
"Unfortunately, the hair is long, which means we haven't brought home Lord Stanley back to the City of Champions, but I'm hoping this is our year," he said.
Ottmeier said his hair has become a labour of love, and he shares yearly updates with followers on social media.
"There's people that are like, 'We've never seen you without it … when we think of Jeff, we think of the Oilers fan with long hair,'" he said.
Because of his job, caring for his long locks takes a lot of cleaning and maintenance, but Ottmeier said that isn't enough to deter him from his endeavor.
"As you can see by how long it is … I'm committed," he said.
So dedicated, he said, that he's willing to weather a Stanley Cup drought indefinitely.
"I guess I'm gonna start looking like Gandalf," Ottmeier said, adding he's happy he didn't decide to grow his beard too.
"But I mean, the sky's the limit," he continued. "Let's see how long we can go and maybe in a couple of years my hair will be down to the bottom of my waist … and we'll go from there."
If the Oilers do bring home the cup this year, Ottmeier is hoping to put close to a decade of growth to good use.
"If somebody wants to record that, I'm going to shave my head on TV and I want to donate my hair to charity," he said. "(For) anybody with cancer, anyone who possibly needs it."
You can follow the Oilers fan and his hair on X at @oilcountry1979.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Marek Tkach
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Air France flight from Paris to Seattle lands in Iqaluit after heat smell in cabin
A plane travelling from Paris to Seattle was forced to make an emergency landing in Iqaluit after there was a heat smell in the cabin during the flight.