A Potentially Unpopular Opinion: I've Grown Tired of Playoff Beards

[Merya]

I think it's more about the widespreadedness of beards nowadays, from hipster to woodsman and full grizzly adams in the past few years. Playoffbeards were pretty cool when most men had the sense to shave regularly.

 

[iamjs]

They could be a little more creative with their beard styles => View attachment 123513

Not so sure about the first one, but the second one is definitely modeled after the late, great Ian Kilmister.

You might know him as Lemmy.

Even Jagr followed Lemmy's lead when he was back in Boston

 

[Say Hey Kid]

Agreed. Playoff beards are stupid things for mindless conformists.

 

[Arrowfodder]

As a bearded man myself I dont mind the tradition, even though there must be drawbacks with having beards as big as Thorntons or that of Emil Kåberg..

Edit; For some reason the first player that came to mind when thinking of beards was Ron Hextall. And I have no idea why..

 

[rfournier103]

If I were on an NHL playoff team, and I had some sway in the dressing room, I would propose mowhawks and goatees.

Actually, I’d just do it myself and if anyone else followed suit, awesome.

 

[streitz]

Not a fan of beards, or playoff beards. I think it frankly looks unprofessional.

Only Gillies(who always had a beard) and maybe goring (cant see from behind and I don't remember if he sported one).

Can't find a good picture of either flyers win, pretty sure aside from a couple porn stashes they were clean shaven aswell.

 

[The Macho King]

I like them. It adds to the whole "these last two months were a f***ing war and you don't look pretty at the end of it" feel of the playoffs.

 

[Filatov2Kovalev2Bonk]

They're awful, and those that have "craft beards" (like Thornton and Burns) are the worst of the bunch.
Shave it, trim it, present it. The end.

 

[streitz]

I like them. It adds to the whole "these last two months were a ****ing war and you don't look pretty at the end of it" feel of the playoffs.

You realize historically in war soldiers didn't have beards right? It was, is and always has been unprofessional.

 

[The Macho King]

You realize historically in war soldiers didn't have beards right? It was, is and always has been unprofessional.

I'm also bothered that hockey players don't wear suits on the ice.

 

[streitz]

I'm also bothered that hockey players don't wear suits on the ice.

They wear suits to games.

 

[The Macho King]

They wear suits to games.

But not on the ice, and that's just disgusting.

 

[brachyrynchos]

I agree with Streitz in that it looks unprofessional but I guess it could come down to the coach's or GM's way of thinking.
Ken Morrow is the bearded fellow just to the left of the cup in the Isles pic, he normally had a beard I think. The 2nd guy directly behind him looks like Gillies with his 'stache and I'm pretty sure he was bearded at other points. Goring had a beard but I honestly can't remember if it was just for the playoffs, looks like a bearded Sutter w/ him.

 

[streitz]

But not on the ice, and that's just disgusting.

All I'm gonna say is if I saw someone looking Joe Thornton or Brent Burns come to my door I wouldn't let them in my house. To be frank I wouldn't let them on my lawn either.


Having well kept facial hair is one thing, but alot of these low testosterone millennial hipsters seem to be sporting beards to try and convince themselves they're men, ditto for all the soft NHL players today doing it for the same reasons.

 

[streitz]

I agree with Streitz in that it looks unprofessional but I guess it could come down to the coach's or GM's way of thinking.
Ken Morrow is the bearded fellow just to the left of the cup in the Isles pic, he normally had a beard I think. The 2nd guy directly behind him looks like Gillies with his 'stache and I'm pretty sure he was bearded at other points. Goring had a beard but I honestly can't remember if it was just for the playoffs, looks like a bearded Sutter w/ him.

You're right, it is Morrow with the beard and Gillies behind him with a stash. I seem to remember Gillies sporting a beard during the 70's in the regular season.

 

[iamjs]

They're awful, and those that have "craft beards" (like Thornton and Burns) are the worst of the bunch.
Shave it, trim it, present it. The end.

The playoff beards don't bother me, but don't try to pass off the **** that Jumbo and Burns are wearing year round as "playoff beards".

I always thought the unofficial rule was you shaved before your first playoff game. I've heard every variation from after the last regular season game to the morning of the first playoff game. Point being that you can't count that as a playoff beard if you've also wearing it in the previous postseason.

 

[DowntownBooster]

Not a fan of beards, or playoff beards. I think it frankly looks unprofessional.

I agree. You can't beat the class of Jean Beliveau. It's hard the picture him with an unruly beard.

 

[nnynetpotato]

If Le Gros Bill didn't do it,why would you,Mr.Edgelord?
-me when I see a playoff beard.

 

[a79krgm]

Cowboy Bill was the only guy I remember from the 70's sporting the shag rug face. Now it seems it's the guys that don't have beards that stand out.

 

[Nick Hansen]

Thornton's beard looks awful IMO.

 

[bikemike66]

You can't argue with a 6.125% success rate though.

 

[mrhockey193195]

I like the idea of playoff beards, but I don't like that everyone does it. I wish only a handful of guys on each team - and ideally the ones that could actually grow a proper beard - would partake.

 

[Xelebes]

You realize historically in war soldiers didn't have beards right? It was, is and always has been unprofessional.

Beards were common among soldiers. It is the grim realities of chemical and biological warfare that made beards scarce among soldiers. The pressure between men who come home from war and the men who never go to war in the 20th century has created conflict. The issue of professionalism has much to do with cohort.

 

[Killion]

Beards were common among soldiers. It is the grim realities of chemical and biological warfare that made beards scarce among soldiers. The pressure between men who come home from war and the men who never go to war in the 20th century has created conflict. The issue of professionalism has much to do with cohort.

Yeah, interesting post and I think perhaps Xelebes if we go back a Century, really from about the late 17th through 19th Centuries Beards & or Mustaches' actually mandatory for entire Regiments... and some of them quite absurd, over the top & high maintenance, like part of the uniform & inspected.... while other Regimental Codes required that the Soldier just leave it unkempt & untrimmed, full on Berserker. All of this before the era of chemical warfare of course however in a number of Regiments to this day facial hair is a requirement, in some divisional branches (Navy for eg) its an "option" (beard & or mustache), in others not permitted at all though if infantry, sniper teams or whatever when in the field for days or weeks at a time, scruffy is ok.

 

[Xelebes]

Yeah, interesting post and I think perhaps Xelebes if we go back a Century, really from about the late 17th through 19th Centuries Beards & or Mustaches' actually mandatory for entire Regiments... and some of them quite absurd, over the top & high maintenance, like part of the uniform & inspected.... while other Regimental Codes required that the Soldier just leave it unkempt & untrimmed, full on Berserker. All of this before the era of chemical warfare of course however in a number of Regiments to this day facial hair is a requirement, in some divisional branches (Navy for eg) its an "option" (beard & or mustache), in others not permitted at all though if infantry, sniper teams or whatever when in the field for days or weeks at a time, scruffy is ok.

Correct. Mustaches are still a custom of many officers in the Canadian and British army.