Playoff beard
Encyclopedia
A playoff beard is the practice of a National Hockey League
player not shaving his beard
during the Stanley Cup
playoffs
. The player stops shaving when his team enters the playoffs and does not shave until his team is eliminated or wins the Stanley Cup. The tradition was started in the 1980s by the New York Islanders
. The tradition is also practiced by nearly all North American hockey leagues, to include high school leagues and the NCAA hockey teams, as well as minor league affiliates. The tradition has also spread to hockey leagues in Europe and is practiced by many fans as well.
According to some observers, one may trim the beard after a loss in an effort to change the team's luck; Jim Dowd and Roberto Luongo
were such practitioners.
It's not known whether the origins of the practice are purely superstitious. Hall of Famer Denis Potvin
says that the Islanders of the 1980s would "play four games in five nights in the first round and it was just something that kind of happened." Other players have said the beard is both a reminder of team unity and a way to get you thinking about the playoffs from the moment you look in the mirror in the morning.
The 2009 Red Wings used the slogan "The beard is back" for the final series of their
2009 Stanley Cup playoffs
run.
, the National Football League
and, to a lesser extent, the National Basketball Association
. The practice generally resembles that of hockey in that players don't shave until they either win a championship or are eliminated.
had last won a race at Texas Motor Speedway
in November 2005. Two years later in June 2007 he won at Michigan International Speedway
. Motorhome driver Tom Giacchi hadn't shaven until Edwards' win in Michigan. Carl Edwards offered him a shave after the race.
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
player not shaving his beard
Beard
A beard is the collection of hair that grows on the chin, cheeks and neck of human beings. Usually, only pubescent or adult males are able to grow beards. However, women with hirsutism may develop a beard...
during the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
playoffs
Stanley Cup playoffs
The Stanley Cup playoffs is an elimination tournament in the National Hockey League consisting of four rounds of best-of-seven series. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records...
. The player stops shaving when his team enters the playoffs and does not shave until his team is eliminated or wins the Stanley Cup. The tradition was started in the 1980s by the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. The tradition is also practiced by nearly all North American hockey leagues, to include high school leagues and the NCAA hockey teams, as well as minor league affiliates. The tradition has also spread to hockey leagues in Europe and is practiced by many fans as well.
According to some observers, one may trim the beard after a loss in an effort to change the team's luck; Jim Dowd and Roberto Luongo
Roberto Luongo
Roberto Luongo is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender for the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . Born in Montreal, Quebec, he is of Italian and Irish ancestry. He employs the butterfly style of goaltending...
were such practitioners.
It's not known whether the origins of the practice are purely superstitious. Hall of Famer Denis Potvin
Denis Potvin
Denis Charles Potvin is a former defenseman and team captain for the New York Islanders in the National Hockey League and cornerstone for the Islanders' four Stanley Cup championship teams in the early 1980s. His brother, Jean Potvin, was also an NHL defenseman and the brothers were teammates for...
says that the Islanders of the 1980s would "play four games in five nights in the first round and it was just something that kind of happened." Other players have said the beard is both a reminder of team unity and a way to get you thinking about the playoffs from the moment you look in the mirror in the morning.
The 2009 Red Wings used the slogan "The beard is back" for the final series of their
2009 Stanley Cup playoffs
2009 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League began on April 15, 2009, after the 2008–09 regular season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference , play a best-of-seven series for the conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and...
run.
Examples in Hockey
- During the 2003 Stanley Cup playoffs2003 Stanley Cup PlayoffsThe 2003 Stanley Cup playoffs, the National Hockey League championship, began on April 9, 2003, following the 2002–03 regular season. The playoffs concluded on June 9, 2003, with the New Jersey Devils defeating the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in seven games.The sixteen qualifying teams played...
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim goalie Jean-Sébastien GiguèreJean-Sébastien GiguèreJean-Sébastien Giguère is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing with the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League . He played major junior with the Verdun Collège Français and Halifax Mooseheads in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League , where he was drafted 13th...
was noted for his thick beard; he commented that both he and his wife hated the beard, but that he did it for the team. - Also, during the 2003 playoffs, Ken DaneykoKen DaneykoKenneth Stephen Daneyko is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman of Ukrainian origin who played his entire career with the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League, winning three Stanley Cup championships with the team. He has been affectionately nicknamed "Mr...
of the New Jersey DevilsNew Jersey DevilsThe New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
grew a significantly large beard. They went on to win the CupStanley CupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
against the Mighty Ducks. - During the same 2003 NHL Playoffs, Anaheim's #1 center Adam OatesAdam OatesAdam Oates is a retired professional ice hockey and lacrosse player and is currently an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils.-Playing career:Oates' break came when Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute offered him a scholarship...
refused to grow a playoff beard, noting that the superstition only works for 1 of the 16 playoff teams (a mere 6% effectiveness). - In the 2006-2007 post-season, the entire University of MinnesotaUniversity of MinnesotaThe University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
men's hockey team bleached their hair blonde. To comply, the Goldy GopherGoldy GopherGoldy Gopher is the mascot for the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities campus and the associated sports teams, known as the Golden Gophers, as well as the defending UCA Mascot National Champion...
mascot and FSNFSNFSN may refer to:* Fate/stay night, a visual novel and its adaptations.* The Federal Stock Number, a numeric code used to identify items in the Joint Army-Navy Catalog System....
anchor Doug WoogDoug WoogDouglas Woog is a former American ice hockey coach and current broadcaster. He is a member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, inducted in 2002. Woog was coach of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers ice hockey team from 1985 to 1999. He was assistant coach of the 1984 U.S...
sported blonde wigs.
Other sports
The playoff beard has expanded into the Canadian Football LeagueCanadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
, the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
and, to a lesser extent, the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. The practice generally resembles that of hockey in that players don't shave until they either win a championship or are eliminated.
Football
- NFL practicioners of the playoff beard include Ben RoethlisbergerBen RoethlisbergerBenjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft...
and Brett KeiselBrett KeiselBrett "The Diesel" Keisel is an American Football player who starts at defensive end for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Brett hails from Greybull, Wyoming.-College career:...
(both of the Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
) and Denver BroncosDenver BroncosThe Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
quarterbackQuarterbackQuarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Jake PlummerJake PlummerJason Steven "Jake" Plummer is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State....
. In fact, after Roethlisberger and his beard led the Steelers to their Super Bowl XLSuper Bowl XLSuper Bowl XL was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League champion for the 2005 season...
victory, he was shaved by David LettermanDavid LettermanDavid Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
during an appearance on the Late Show with David LettermanLate Show with David LettermanLate Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
. - At the beginning of the 2007-2008 NFL season, wide receiver Matt JonesMatt Jones (American football)Matthew Jones is a former American football wide receiver . He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft, and retired officially in November 2010. He played college football at Arkansas....
of the Jacksonville JaguarsJacksonville JaguarsThe Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
grew a "touchdown beard" that he said he would keep until catching his first touchdown, which took until week 8.
- During the 2007-2008 New England PatriotsNew England PatriotsThe New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
season, several offensive linemen including Pro Bowlers Matt LightMatt LightMatthew Charles Light is an American football offensive tackle for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue.-Early years:Light was born in Greenville, Ohio...
and Logan MankinsLogan Mankins-2005–06 seasons:Mankins was drafted with the final pick of the first round, 32nd overall, in the 2005 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. Despite playing his entire collegiate career as a tackle, Mankins was moved to left guard by the Patriots, where he immediately stepped into the starting...
grew beards until being eliminated. Both men showed up at the Pro Bowl much cleaner cut than in previous weeks.
- During a 2008 playoff run, many Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
players grew beards, inspiring head coach Andy ReidAndy ReidAndrew Walter "Andy" Reid is the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL, a post he has held since 1999. Since 2001, he has also been the team's executive vice president of football operations...
and owner Jeffrey LurieJeffrey LurieJeffrey Lurie is a former Hollywood producer-turned National Football League team owner. Lurie bought the Philadelphia Eagles on May 6, 1994 from then-owner Norman Braman for $195 million...
to do likewise.
Basketball
- In the late 1990s, members of the New York KnicksNew York KnicksThe New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, including Patrick EwingPatrick EwingPatrick Aloysius Ewing Sr. is a Jamaican-American retired Hall of Fame basketball player and current assistant coach for the National Basketball Association's Orlando Magic. He played most of his career with the NBA's New York Knicks as their starting center and played briefly with the Seattle...
, Charles OakleyCharles OakleyCharles Oakley is a retired American professional basketball player and is currently an assistant coach for the Charlotte Bobcats of the National Basketball Association...
, Larry Johnson, and Allan HoustonAllan HoustonAllan Wade Houston is a retired American professional basketball player for the NBA, and currently the Assistant General Manager for the New York Knicks. He was one of the top 3-point shooters in the NBA until a knee injury forced him to retire...
grew beards during the playoffs. - LeBron JamesLeBron JamesLeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
of the Miami HeatMiami HeatThe Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
has worn a playoff beard in the past. - Zydrunas IlgauskasŽydrunas IlgauskasŽydrūnas Ilgauskas , or "Big Z" , is a retired Lithuanian professional basketball center who played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association...
wore a playoff beard in 2006, but didn't bring it back for the 2007 playoffs2007 NBA PlayoffsThe 2007 NBA Playoffs was the postseason to the National Basketball Association's 2006–2007 season.There were four rounds of postseason action, all of them in a best-of-seven format, with teams seeded on a bracket. The team with the better record wasn't necessarily the basis of seeding teams in...
, citing spousal disapproval.
Association football (soccer)
- In 1993, Sheffield UnitedSheffield United F.C.Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
's veteran striker Alan CorkAlan CorkAlan Cork is an English former professional football player. He played as a striker for several clubs, most notably Wimbledon and has held a number of managerial and coaching posts since his retirement from playing. Cork is a member of the Wimbledon Old Players Association...
did not shave during the club's four-month FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
run where they ultimately reached the semi-finals.
- In Major League SoccerMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
, players on the Houston DynamoHouston DynamoThe Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic...
roster kept a "lucky beard" for the duration of the 2006 and 2007 MLS Cup Playoffs2007 MLS Cup PlayoffsThe 2007 MLS Cup Playoffs was the postseason to Major League Soccer's 2007 season, and it concluded with MLS Cup 2007 on November 18, 2007 at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C....
. They renewed the tradition during their run to the 2011 MLS Cup.
- The Los Angeles GalaxyLos Angeles GalaxyThe Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
grew playoff beards during their run to the 2005 MLS Cup and again during the 2010 MLS Cup Playoffs2010 MLS Cup PlayoffsThe 2010 MLS Cup Playoffs was the postseason tournament subsequent to Major League Soccer's 2010 season. The Colorado Rapids defeated FC Dallas 2–1 at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario....
.
Tennis
- Superstar Björn BorgBjörn BorgBjörn Rune Borg is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Sweden. Between 1974 and 1981 he won 11 Grand Slam singles titles. He won five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles and six French Open singles titles...
used to let his beard grow prior to the WimbledonThe Championships, WimbledonThe Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
tournament. Citing that custom, Sports IllustratedSports IllustratedSports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
's Wimbledon preview once captioned a Borg photo with, "The beard has begun." - Top-Ten Tennis player James BlakeJames BlakeJames Riley Blake is an American professional tennis player. Blake is known for his speed and powerful, flat forehand. As of August 2011, Blake is ranked no. 63 among active male players with 24 career finals appearances...
now sports the beard during his runs at Grand SlamGrand SlamGrand Slam may refer to:-Card games:* In the game of contract bridge a bid to win all the tricks of that hand. By extension, the taking of all the important elements in an endeavour.-Equestrianism:...
events, not shaving until he has been eliminated. - Andy RoddickAndy RoddickAndrew Stephen "Andy" Roddick is an American professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. He is currently the second highest-ranked American player, behind Mardy Fish....
sported a beard for the 2006 US Open.
NASCAR
In NASCAR Nextel Cup driver Carl EdwardsCarl Edwards
Carl Michael Edwards, II is a NASCAR driver. He currently drives the #99 Fastenal/Aflac Ford Fusion in the Sprint Cup Series and the #60 Ford in the Nationwide Series for Roush Fenway Racing...
had last won a race at Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway is a speedway located in the northernmost portion of the U.S. city of Fort Worth, Texas – the portion located in Denton County, Texas....
in November 2005. Two years later in June 2007 he won at Michigan International Speedway
Michigan International Speedway
Michigan International Speedway is a two-mile moderate-banked D-shaped superspeedway located off U.S. Highway 12 on more than in Brooklyn, in the scenic Irish Hills area of southeastern Michigan. The track is used primarily for NASCAR events. It is sometimes known as a "sister track" to Texas...
. Motorhome driver Tom Giacchi hadn't shaven until Edwards' win in Michigan. Carl Edwards offered him a shave after the race.
Baseball
- Many Houston AstrosHouston AstrosThe Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
now grow post-season playoff beards.
- In the later part of the 2010 MLB Season2010 Major League Baseball seasonThe 2010 Major League Baseball season began Sunday, April 4, when the Boston Red Sox defeated their long-time rivals, the 2009 World Series champion New York Yankees at Fenway Park, 9–7; the regular season ended on October 3. The 2010 All-Star Game was played on July 13 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim...
, closer Brian Wilson of the San Francisco GiantsSan Francisco GiantsThe San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
, along with teammate Sergio RomoSergio RomoSergio Francisco Romo is a American right-handed professional baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League baseball.-Early life:Romo was born in Brawley, California to Mexican immigrant parents...
grew playoff beards and refused to shave it off until the season was over (Wilson also dyed his beard black). Through the remainder of the season, it became more popular among Giants fans and sported the phrase "Fear the Beards". Both continue to sport the beard to this day.
Fan beards
Fans often grow beards as a sign of support while their favorite team is in the playoffs.- In 2006, the NPRNPRNPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
show Weekend America featured a segment about St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
fans who grew beards during the playoffs. Several players for the underdog Cardinals grew beards too. The team would go on to win the World Series. - Fans of the 2006-07 Buffalo SabresBuffalo SabresThe Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
whose loyal contingency display rules for grooming, dealing with skeptical supervisors and unappreciative significant others.
Outside of Sports
- Male students at some universities in the United States, Canada, and Sweden have also begun to sport an academic variation on the playoff beard - not shaving between the period when regular classes end and their last final exam.
- In computer- and videogaming circles, there is also a similar phenomenon known as a release beard; when waiting male gamers stop shaving for an arbitrary amount of months prior to an anticipated title's retail date. The normal practice is then to go buy the game, return home, shave with a sense of great satisfaction, and get to playing. The release beard is obviously a predominantly male gamer phenomenon, but there have been cases of gamer girls growing release 'pits, abstaining from shaving their armpits.
- In 2010 game programmerGame programmerA game programmer is a software engineer, programmer, or computer scientist who primarily develops codebase for video games or related software, such as game development tools. Game programming has many specialized disciplines all of which fall under the umbrella term of "game programmer"...
and staff member "Mr. Insane" of virtual pet site NeopetsNeopetsNeopets is a virtual pet website that was launched by Adam Powell and Donna Williams on November 15, 1999. Two years after the web site was launched, Adam Powell and Donna Williams sold a majority share to a consortium of investors led by Doug Dohring. On June 20, 2005, Viacom bought Neopets, Inc...
, grew a beard throughout the duration of the lengthy 'Faeries' Ruin Plot', which ran from Autumn 2010 to Midwinter 2011. One day he began shaving the beard, but was stopped partway through by another staff member. He had to continue on with a half-beard until he completed coding the plot to the end. - In 2011, an automobile enthusiast from SloveniaSloveniaSlovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
decided he won't shave until he passes the driving test.
Playoff Hair (other)
- During the 2010 playoffs, Patrick KanePatrick KanePatrick Timothy Kane, Jr. is an American professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League . The Blackhawks selected him with the first overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.-Minor and junior:Kane attended the St...
of the Chicago BlackhawksChicago BlackhawksThe Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
chose to style his hair into a "playoff mulletMullet (haircut)The mullet is a hairstyle that is short at the front and sides, and long in the back. . The mullet began to appear in popular media in the 1960s and 1970s but did not become generally well-known until the early 1980s...
" in addition to growing a playoff beard. He did it because of his well-documented struggles to grow a beard the year before. Kane was just 21 during the 2010 Playoffs which saw the Chicago BlackhawksChicago BlackhawksThe Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
go on to win it all with Kane scoring the cup-clinching goal in game 6 against the Philadelphia FlyersPhiladelphia FlyersThe Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. Barry MelroseBarry MelroseBarry James Melrose is a former player and head coach in the National Hockey League, as well as a current commentator and hockey analyst for ESPN.-Playing career:...
is one of the few well-known supporters of the playoff mullet. - In the 2008 NHL Playoffs the Calgary Flames took a page out of the SLC Punk handbook and grew Playoff Mohawks. Captain Jarome Iginla and Assistant Captain Craig Conroy both sported Playoff Mohawks for their seven game loss to the San Jose Sharks. http://www.mohawksrock.com/profiles/blogs/1501994:BlogPost:11405
- At the end of the 2007 CFL regular season, the BC LionsBC LionsThe BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
grew playoff moustaches, the idea came from Rob Murphy and was then used as a promotion for ticket and merchandise sales.
External links
- Photo gallery of NHL playoff beards at SI.com