The tooth fairy loves hockey players. For most people, getting your teeth knocked out would be devastating; for hockey players, it’s a right of passage. It’s a symbol of their toughness and commitment to their sport, a testament to how their team is more important to them than their health and vanity. Hockey is probably the only sport where it is a point of pride when you don’t have all your teeth. There are team dentists at every game. It’s no joke. It’s one of those endearing things that make us love hockey even more than we already do. Talk about dedication to your craft!

While hockey may have enforcers, there may be a lack of enforcement when it comes to wearing a mouthguard. In honor of the release of the live-action movie How to Train Your Dragon, here are some Sportsish-worthy toothless smiles.

Drew Doughty

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This LA King got to meet the Toothless the Dragon; what a crossover episode. These two gap-toothed cuties spent some time creating promotional materials for the movie, which was released on June 13th. I don’t know about you, but I would love to see a particular black dragon on the LA Kings roster with Drew for the 25/26 season. Doughty got one of his front teeth knocked out by a puck and the other by a high stick.

Chris Neil

Former Ottowa Senators enforcer Chris Neil is probably the best representation of a toothless hockey player. He could be a spokesmodel for it. As an enforcer, a somewhat dying art in the NHL, having all your teeth would be a red flag. Enforcers wouldn’t be doing their job if they didn’t dole out a punch or two (probably more) and take some in return. His reputation and smile definitely gave him an intimidating edge when it came to facing an opposing player.

Alexander Ovechkin

This hockey legend lost his tooth in 2007 to a high stick against his former team, the Atlanta Thrashers (now known as the Winnipeg Jets in Manitoba, Canada). He claims he will get his tooth fixed once he retires, but we hope that is a ways away; it is an absolute honor to watch him on the ice, a man at the top of his game and still going. Now, with 897 goals, 14 stitches, and one missing front tooth later, Ovi has carved himself a spot in hockey history as one of the greatest ever to do it.

Sidney Crosby

Everyone’s favorite penguin, Sid the Kid, has lost multiple chiclets in several incidents in his hockey career. In 2013, he took a puck to the face, which broke his jaw and lost multiple teeth. He had to undergo jaw surgery and pretty extensive dental work to repair the damage. In 2017, due to a high stick, Sidney lost both his front teeth, a twofer, if you will. He has since gotten dental work to fill in the gap. You’d never know the abuse that handsome face has taken.

Jack Hughes

The ultimate golden retriever hockey player, Jack Hughes, lost one of his front teeth in the 2023 playoffs against the Hurricanes when the hook of a stick knocked him in the mouth. The hockey girlies were devastated, to say the least, dedicating a multitude of TikToks to mourn the loss. However, we must give props to the Devils' marketing team for jumping on the trend and posting a tribute to Hughes' lost tooth. It’s a great example of sports team marketing geared toward a younger generation and what is popular with them in the media. Like Sidney Crosby, Jack has since gotten dental work to fix the gap.

@njdevils Saying goodbye is the hardest part. #jackhughestooth #njdevils #jackhughes #nhl #hockey #njd #foryou #fyp #hockeytok #tooth #sad ♬ original sound - New Jersey Devils

Bobby Hull

*Bettman/Getty Images & DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon*

Hockey legend Bobby Hull was known for that iconic smile, not unlike our favorite nightfury. The two look pretty similar, no? Hull, who had already had his two front teeth replaced due to a hockey-related injury, again had them knocked out. How? A private rendezvous between the sheets in a hotel in Geneva during the late 1950s. They were then found by the hotel staff and mailed back to him. Can you imagine receiving that package? As for the initial injury, even Hull didn’t know what specifically caused him to lose his teeth in the first place. In 2004, those same teeth were auctioned off and sold for $575.96, presumably because Hull had since received new dental work.

Brent Burns

Brent Burns is known for his goofy grin; come on, look at him; he’s adorable. Some people can pull off no teeth, and he’s one of them. It makes him look more endearing, which can be difficult for a 6’5” defenceman. He would have been perfect casting for the live-action adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon; he’s the embodiment of a Viking! No joke, he was a two-episode guest star on the television show Vikings, playing the character Skane. Hopefully, we will be seeing more of Brent Burns in future projects on the big screen. Burns has lost a multitude of teeth throughout his career, in multiple instances; it's hard to pinpoint just one. He wears a partial bridge, a type of denture, to fill in the gaps.

How to Train Your... Hockey Player?: Toothy Smiles that Rival Toothless the Dragon