The NHL playoff beard is the stuff of tradition and is grown by grizzled veterans and baby-faced rookies alike.
As initially introduced by Ken Morrow of the New York Islanders, who won four straight titles in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the beard begins at the start of a team’s postseason run and does not come off until a team either is eliminated, or better yet, hoists the Stanley Cup. The tradition has extended through all of hockey’s ranks and has even been used to raise millions for charity.
However, NBC Sports Chairman Mark Lazarus would like the tradition to stop, and since NBC pays the NHL $2 billion in rights fees, his voice actually counts.
For Lazarus, the noble concepts of team building and camaraderie are trumped by the idea that the beards partially obscure the players’ faces, thus making them more difficult to recognize on television.
“The players won’t like this, but I wish they all would stop growing beards in the postseason,” Lazarus told the Chicago Tribune. “Let’s get their faces out there. Let’s talk about how young and attractive they are. What model citizens they are. (Hockey players) truly are one of a kind among professional athletes.”
“I know it’s a tradition and superstition, but I think [the beards do] hurt recognition. They have a great opportunity with more endorsements. Or simply more recognition with fans saying, ‘That guy looks like the kid next door,’ which many of these guys do. I think that would be a nice thing.”