If there’s one thing that we love as much as the Oilers it’s looking fresh, and that’s where Craig Boa comes in. Not only is Craig keeping the Nation (and the Oilers) looking good, his barbershop ‘Weekly’ has just signed on to be an official NationGear retailer. Basically what I’m telling you is that after you get your mop cut you can complete the sexification process with a fresh new tee! I sat down with Craig to talk Oilers, cutting hair, and why he loves NationGear.  

Baggedmilk: You guys are located right next to the new arena. How do you think this development will transform life in downtown Edmonton?

Craig Boa: I think the development that downtown Edmonton is seeing right now will hugely impact life in the core in a positive manner. I’ve seen it already with just the development of the Mercer Building. I can only imagine what numerous new condo/business towers, hotels, bars, restaurants and shops will do for the city. Oh yah, and that skating rink thing as well as that place that displays objects of historical, scientific and artistic objects

BM: As an Oilers fan, is it surreal to have your business located in the shadow of the new home of the team?

CB: I definitely think its pretty sweet. No more mailing in my last cut of the day so I can get my ass in an uber and make it down to the game on time. With that said, I’m super curious to see how the traffic(cars and pedestrians) will flow through the area.

BM: What are your thoughts on how the season is going so far?

CB: I think the team is really coming around. The goaltending has been solid, defensively everyone(forwards included) seems to be working well together and protecting their own end and offensively, they’re capitalizing on their  scoring chances. I’m looking forward to seeing the return of McDavid and Yakupov to add to that.

BM: Do you cut a lot of the Oilers hair? If so, whom?

CB: We definitely cut a few, its pretty crazy how fast a team can turnover though. We started out with Hemsky, then came Ference who somehow informed Perron and he spread the word like wildfire for after him we saw Nuge, Hall, Fayne, Purcell and a recent visit from McDavid.

BM: Who has the worst hair in the NHL right now? Who has the best?

CB: I always thought Ryan Kesler had pretty bad hair. Hair cuts a mess but I bet you the girl that cuts it is on point. I also think Brad Marchand has bad hair as of late! (I’m just kidding, my buddy just cut it so this is a stab at his workmanship)

As far as the best hair, in a completely unbiased opinion I would say anyone mentioned in question 4. Other than that though, I think Kris Letang is looking pretty sharp with his new haircut and nothing Zetterberg does ever looks bad.

BM: What is the key to having all-star calibre hockey hair?

CB: Don’t cut it yourself/go to some cheap hack. Also, the right product is always key. Kesler has never been told that before.

BM: You guys do beard trims; which NHL player could desperately use one and who should try and grow a beard immediately?

CB: I always kind of like what Brent Burns has going on but after watching last nights game, I think its getting to be a bit much. Gazdic was by for a beard trim a little while ago and it was interesting to hear the theory behind facial hair/beards. He mentioned how having the beard helps him with the intimidation factor on the ice. Guys aren’t as scared of the baby face. This theory was also backed by Parros on the Jay and Dan podcast, where he said he would always get more fights under his belt in the month of November(after he would clean shave for Movember) than any other month. I definitely wouldn’t be taking any liberties on this guys tendy.

BM: Why should citizens of the Nation come visit you for all their haircut needs?

CB: We have a pretty good idea of whats working with hair these days, I will apologize in advance though. We are a small shop and the wait to get in can get a little obnoxious sometimes.

BM: You’re now selling NationGear for us in your shop. Why did you think carrying NationGear would be a good fit?

CB: I love the story of the NationGear. I’m definitely a guy that likes going to the Oiler games and would like to support the team, but I would rather not wear a jersey to the game and be out in it all night so NationGear is perfect for guys and gals like me.

BM: Where can we find you?

CB: My home rink is definitely the Mercer Tavern, I know all the angles of that barn so I can often pick up some fortuitous bounces around there. You can also find me at Weekly cutting hair and on Instagram at @weeklyyeg.

I want to thank Craig for his time and bringing us down to his shop to meet Andrew Ference and see the ins and outs of the official Nation barbershop. If you’re ever in the neighbourhood, I recommend that you go see the team at Weekly and start sexifying yourself with a fresh cut and some new NationGear.