A Hairy Tradition Eluded One Goaltender

Goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who signed a new contract with the Mighty Ducks on Wednesday, let his beard grow during this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs.

That’s a playoff tradition -- one Lorne Chabot ignored when he tended the nets for several teams in the 1920s and ‘30s. He shaved before every game.

“I stitch better when my skin is smooth,” Chabot is quoted as saying in Kevin Nelson’s book, “Slap Shots: Hockey’s Greatest Insults.”

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Trivia time: Who was the first goalie to wear a mask permanently?

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Heaven can wait: A popular bumper sticker in Philadelphia, when Bernie Parent was tending goal for the Flyers in the 1960s and ‘70s, read: “Only God Saves More Than Parent.”

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Short joke: Former San Jose Shark goalie Arturs Irbe is described in Nelson’s book as being the size of a minnow. Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle once wrote of Irbe: “How can you not like a pro athlete who lists miniature golf as a hobby. Although, at his size, what other kind of golf could Irbe play?”

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Easy target: Maurice Clarett, suspended by Ohio State Wednesday for a variety of violations, was a target for Tom Arnold on “Best Damn Sports Show Period.”

The bit in which Arnold went after Clarett is called “Things you wouldn’t say to ... “ It went like this:

* “Hey, Maurice, lying, academic fraud and accepting illegal benefits. Looks like you’re more than ready for the NFL.”

* “Hey, Maurice, Randy Moss called: Next time the police try to talk to you, just run ‘em over!”

* “Hey, Maurice, look at the bright side -- the way you falsify reports, you can always get a job at the New York Times.”

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Father knows best: Clarett’s father, Myke, a guest of James Brown on Sporting News Radio on Thursday, said: “When people offer you stuff that you want, you’ll most likely accept at that age.”

Myke Clarett also said, “Questions about how he was raised, I am very offended by that. My son was not raised by wolves in the wild.”

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Axed over Ox: Miami of Ohio, located in Oxford, Ohio, suspended its kicker for stealing a statue called “Wizard of Ox” from Oxford Park, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

The kicker: Jared Parseghian, the great grandnephew of Ara, the legendary Notre Dame coach.

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Ho-hum: The novelty is definitely gone. Laura Davies will become the fourth female golfer to tee it up against men this year when she plays in the Korean Open in October.

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Trivia answer: Jacques Plante, while playing for the Montreal Canadiens in 1959, began wearing a mask in practice and then started wearing it in games.

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And finally: Going into Thursday night’s game against the Detroit Tigers, the New York Yankees’ Jason Giambi was batting .188 in his last 35 games, with only six home runs and 12 RBIs. He recently ended a one-for-40 slump.

The headline on the back page of the New York Post Thursday: JASON ZOMBIE.

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Larry Stewart can be reached at larry.stewart@latimes.com