Stanley Cup Playoffs and the Tradition of Beards
Throughout the storied history of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the tradition of sporting bushy beards has been a time-honored ritual for many players, though not all have the genetics for it. This reality hit home for Jackson Blake, a forward for the Carolina Hurricanes, who candidly admitted on Monday,
“My beard is … it’s not very good. I’m not going to lie.”
Jackson Blake’s Beard Struggles
The 22-year-old’s attempt at facial hair features a sparse patchwork of scraggly strands, leaving much to be desired compared to the impressive beards of his teammates. During the Stanley Cup Final’s media day, Blake found himself alongside Jalen Chatfield, whose beard would easily make the Brawny paper towel mascot envious. Blake humorously remarked,
“Mine doesn’t look like that right now,”
while glancing over at Chatfield’s much fuller beard.
Despite the playful ribbing among teammates, the consensus leans toward Blake’s beard being the least impressive among the Hurricanes. Winger Taylor Hall, confidently showing off his own full beard with noticeable gray strands, remarked,
“Sometimes it’s in your genes, whether you can grow a beard or not. It’s nothing you can really do about it.”
The Genetic Factor
The genetic factor comes into play prominently with Blake, who sports blond hair that further conceals any attempt at a playoff beard. Hall quipped,
“I mean it’s blond too, so you can’t really see it very well, but he’s trying.”
Teammate Mark Jankowski noted,
“He’s got some stuff there, but I think it hurt him a little bit that he’s blond, so it’s harder to see.”
Acknowledging this point, Blake reflected on the impracticality of his blond facial hair.
“I don’t know. If we get the right lighting, maybe it’d be a little better,”
he joked. He also mentioned that the teasing from his teammates has been minimal, stating,
“They’ve been pretty nice actually to me for that. They haven’t really said anything about it, but, I mean, I see myself every day and I know what it looks like.”
On-Ice Performance
More importantly, Blake’s performance on the ice remains the true focus for his teammates, as he currently ranks second among the Hurricanes in playoffs scoring with 15 points—comprising five goals and ten assists—while playing alongside Hall and center Logan Stankoven on one of the most effective lines this postseason. This marks Blake’s second consecutive full season in the NHL, and he is once again making a deep playoff run after reaching the conference finals last year.
In retrospect, he measured his progress with his playoff beard. Last season, he felt he had barely any growth, saying,
“Last year I did it, but nothing really grew in. This year, I’ve got a little more. I’m just letting it do its thing. Whatever happens to my face, happens. Then after the season’s over, right away, I’m shaving it.”
Conclusion
As he continues to contribute to his team’s playoff aspirations, Blake’s beard may garner attention, but it is undoubtedly his on-ice contributions that matter more to him and the Hurricanes as they vie for the championship title.
