In honor of hockey season and the playoffs only a couple of
months away, I thought it was fitting to talk about one of the biggest hockey
superstitions of all time: the playoff beard. The trend began in the 1980s when
the New York Islanders won four consecutive Stanley Cups. The players of the
Islanders stopped shaving their beards as soon as they made it into the post
season. They believed that this was one of the reasons they won four Stanley Cups.
Other teams and fans jumped on the playoff beard bandwagon after hearing about
this hockey superstition. It has become customary for all teams and fans to
show-off their beard during the playoffs.
The playoff beard superstition relates back to the Q-ray
bracelet that we discussed in class. Athletes believe that by not shaving when
entering the post season will bring them luck in winning the big game. Athletes
who wore the Q-ray bracelet (like the track runner in the commercial) believed
that they won by wearing the bracelet.
Regardless of whether or not the playoff beard brings good
luck to the Stanley Cup playoffs, it is a tradition that will be a part of
hockey forever.
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