
A common question I get is where did the playoff beard superstition-turned-tradition originate?
I've never got a 100% for sure answer on this one, but it seems to be a relatively recent trend. The New York Islanders dynasty of the early 1980s featured several players who grew or maintained beards come playoff time. Ken Morrow, Butch Goring, John Tonelli, Clark Gillies, and Gord Lane all had big, itchy, black beards. It was said to be a good luck charm, and it delivered four consecutive Stanley Cup championships.
Scanning through photos of Stanley Cup champions in the years past, it is pretty hard to find any player with a beard, even back in the 1800s. So the Islanders suggestion seems to hold great merit.

By the way, a must-see website is, of course, PlayoffBeard.com.
1 comment:
Seeing as 15 teams which grow beards are eliminated from the playoffs, you'd think this tradition would die.
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