Sharks' Joe Thornton Loses Part of His Beard in Fight with Toronto's Nazem Kadri

San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton and Toronto Maple Leafs center Nazem Kadri didn't wait long to tussle during Thursday's game at Air Canada Centre.

Neither man scored a definitive victory, but Thornton's lengthy beard took a loss before referees separated the combatants.

Television cameras caught Thornton and Kadri jawing before the contest's initial faceoff, and both men dropped gloves seconds after the game's start.

Thornton, the taller of the two at 6'4", closed in for the fight's first punch, and Kadri responded by tugging on his opponent's beard.

Refs stepped in and stopped the battle after both players fell to the ice, but the Sharks Twitter account showed Thornton lost some facial hair in the skirmish:

Kadri deserved an additional two minutes for beard-pulling.

[YouTube/Twitter]