What better place to begin a discussion about playoff beards than to touch on the defending champions?
Let’s rattle off the furry-faced 2015 Stanley Cup winners who made up the Chicago Blackhawks.
Duncan Keith
Picture someone who doesn’t just do their job with skill, but also with maximum effort. Imagine a person who logged more time on the job than anyone else and even fought through pain, someone described as a “freak.”
Now admit that you probably pictured someone with a big, bushy beard, much like the one Keith sports.
Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane
The Blackhawks’ two superstar forwards don’t have the greatest beards around, but much like Toews, they just get the job done.
In the case of Kane, let’s be honest: most of us think of his innovative “playoff mullet” more than his beard.
(Overall? Solid beards.)
Corey Crawford
Corey Crawford’s beard is a lot like his play: underrated, yet impressive once you really pour over it. Crawford tends to get lost in the shuffle, but should he? And should his beard?