CHICAGO — There are mullets, and then there is "The Mullet."
At least that's what George Hillier has named his new hairdo, in honor of Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane's famous "business in the front, party in the back" hairstyle.
Hillier, a huge Blackhawks and Kane fan, has upped the ante.
He has the mullet and recently sported Kane's famous "racing stripes" on each side.
Earlier this postseason, Hillier also had a barber shave "88" on one side and a Blackhawks crossing-tomahawks logo on the other.
"It's an old-school mullet with some modern-day graffiti," said barber Alex Maldonado, who charged Hillier $25 for the haircut, which was trimmed right before the Hawks' heart-stopping, 2-1 Game 7 overtime win over the Hawks' bitter rival Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference semifinals.
The Hawks are four victories away from their second Stanley Cup championship in four years after beating the Los Angeles Kings in five games in the Western Conference finals.
To prepare for the Stanley Cup Finals, which begin Wednesday against Boston, Hillier redesigned the mullet, as a Stanley Cup design was shaved into the left side of his head.
Hillier — and his hair — are ready.
"We all stereotype mullets. I think a lot of people, when you see a mullet, think you're seeing a hillbilly," said Hillier, 29, of Crown Point, Ind. "This one had to be different, one-of-a-kind, distinct.
"I like to refer to it as 'The Mullet.'"
Hillier said he called several barber shops to shave the artwork into his head. All of them, he said, referred him to Maldonado, 24, of J's Barber Shop in Merrillville, Ind.
"I've put Bob Marley into the back of someone's head, and this was much easier," said Maldonado, who features some of his top work on his Twitter account. "But it's always a challenge trying to duplicate a design that someone wants."
Hillier, a big backer of the mullet style, said his favorite version is of Bruins sniper Jaromir Jagr — "a big, puffy mullet," he said. NHL analyst Barry Melrose, Kane and Hawks left wing Brandon Saad also sport nice mullets, Hillier said.
Hillier is a logistics manager at Target and a senior at Purdue University Calumet. He also is single, but noted that the mullet already has helped him meet women.
"It's a talking point," said Hillier, whose mullet photos have appeared on several Facebook pages, including the popular "Joel Quenneville's Mustache".
Hillier said if the Hawks claim another Stanley Cup, he probably will keep the mullet for "a while." Only when it gets to "Joe Dirt" length will he consider cutting it.
He even hopes to start a trend.
"I'd just like to see the mullet come back," he said. "Hipsters are coming back, some of the older music is coming back.
"Bring back the mullet. There's nothing wrong with it."
