EDINA, Minn. — One thing becomes immediately clear when you talk with John King, architect of the iconic videos that celebrate the Minnesota Boys State Hockey Tournament and the wacky 'doos that hide out under the player's helmets.
He loves the game, and the long-haired gents who play it.
"They're great kids... the hockey cowboys," he says laughing.
For more than a decade King has posted his "All Hockey Hair Team' videos on YouTube immediately after the tourney wraps, featuring his deadpan descriptions of mullets, salads, '70s era feather-backs and side shaves that are as colorful and accurate as they are hilarious. Millions of hockey fans (and non-hockey fans) have cracked up while soaking up the distinctly Minnesota vibe.
Well, the tourney is more than a month in the rear view mirror, and King is back... with a curtain call for the 2020 All Hockey Hair Team he has dubbed "FLOWVID-19 - State of the Salad and Quarentine Tips." The video checks in with the wacky-haired skaters he selected in early March, finds out how they're holding up in these Stay at Home days, and shoots for a bit of lighthearted fun during very serious times.
"Everything is so sad and heavy," King reflects. "I was kinda thinking it would nice to flip something out there that had some levity to it."
There's Colin Hummel from Delano, who cut his hair shortly after the tournament and is clearly unhappy with his current state of affairs. "Salad's not looking great, speed stripes are worn off, short hair, just tragic," he tells King ruefully.
Hutchinson goaltender Jacob Huls hasn't even thought about a haircut, but his bleach job has given way to seriously dark roots. "As you can see, I'm growing a little pepper with the salt," he says. "For now, the flow must go on."
Despite experiencing differences in the status of their salad, one thing most of the guys seem to have in common is that life during lockdown consists of two things: Sitting around, and playing LOTS of video games.
"Buy stock in Xbox," King chuckles.
As head of the Fallon Advertising Agency's New York office, King knows that message matters. He clearly realizes this is a sensitive time, and that many have... and will... experience sickness, heartache, and even death in this time of COVID-19. Many are feeling cooped-up, isolated and antsy, and laughter can be good medicine.
"I don't think we should stop putting things out there that make people feel good," he says simply. "It's really about riding the storm out, that's what we're doing."
The last image of the video is a full screen graphic encouraging viewers to donate to Second Harvest Heartland. While King has no official relationship or tie to Second Harvest, he makes it clear that he admires the organization's mission, and feels they're worthy of support.
"Rub a couple of nickels together, help Second Harvest out," he urges.
