Facial hair. There’s just something about it that makes a man seem manlier. Or odder. Either way, it’s a long standing tradition for NHL players that break the cusp of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Most take part in it, though some like to keep their face clean. Some stay away because their beard may not come together nicely, resulting in a face full of patches. Some welcome the patches and allow their glorious follicles to develop here and there.
The playoff beard tradition was started in the 1980’s by the New York Islanders. The reason they originated was basically quoted as the Islanders would, “play four games in five nights in the first round and it was just something that kind of happened.