The Playoff Beards

Approximately 6 and a half weeks ago a handful of us embarked on an epic journey to grow playoff beards in anticipation of the Chicago Blackhawks playoff run. Why? Well first and foremost it was because we had a cousin/friend standing tall on the blue line and would have probably shaved our heads as well if it meant he could hoist the Stanley Cup above his head. Secondly…well really as guys do we really need an excuse to grow a beard? Absolutely not and if your girlfriend or wife is saying you never can I suggest you read this.

Unfortunately tonight however the Detroit Red Wings eliminated the Blackhawks in game 5 of the Western Conference finals and while it is highly disappointing Chicago should be holding their heads high with what they accomplished this year. First and foremost they are one of (if not the) youngest teams in the NHL and there average age is only increased slightly thanks to a couple seasoned veterans they have on the roster. As a franchise in just one year it’s almost as if they have returned to there glory years…a competitive team is back, the fans are back, and most importantly the city of Chicago is finally talking about hockey again.

The other tragedy from tonight however took place about 30 minutes after the game when Rob Dog and I took the razor to our faces and decided it was time to get rid of the playoff beard. We debated heavily about keeping it regardless win our lose for this weekends jaunt down to Red Deer for Peca’s stag but after looking ourselves in the mirror for the past few weeks we both couldn’t take it much longer. What we got was a weird feeling and an image that made us look like we had just shaved about 10 years off of our lives.

Needless to say neither one of us can look at one another without laughing, he thinks I look like a pedophile and I think he looks like he is about 15 years old, even this extremely good looking gym girl was having a good laugh about our new found looks.

I personally am going to miss the ample comparisons to numerous celebrities. Some of you may have been wondering on Facebook why Ben Affleck, Cam Ward, Ryan Reynolds, Jack Black, etc, have been spotted in northern Alberta, well wonder no more because I’ve been told I look like these people. How? I don’t know exactly I just find it funny and figured I would try to pump my own tires.

Ben Affleck was born from my now former roommate Megan’s dental teacher at NAIT who while checking my teeth asked me if anyone had said I looked like Ben Affleck. Even though it was in the early stages of the playoff beard I would have to say she must have been watching Daredevil in an extremely distorted stretched wide screen.

Then of course there was Cam Ward but apparently only from a side profile, that was mentioned to me actually a couple times but to Lips, Zims, and Atky, I think you guys were just trying to pick me up. Of course when they told me that they had to quickly deflate my tires by telling me I actually look like Jack Black.

There were of course the negatives to all this as almost every girl I seen thought I was hideous, some even going as far to say it was a cock block…but in actuality they themselves were the cock blocks!

This is now the second time I’ve grown a beard, the first coming in 2006 for the Oilers playoff run. I’m sure some of you are thinking it’s ridiculous to grow a beard because your favorite team is in the playoffs but truthfully if the hockey I played had playoffs long enough to actually rock a sweet beard I would probably already have one to begin with.

Needless to say I’m hoping that come the next time a round it will be lucky enough for either the Oilers or Blackhawks to bask in it’s magic, after all third time is a charm! Till then however it’s going to take a good week to get used to seeing this cleanly shaven mug in the mirror again.

Be sure to check out the pictures of our shave job and of course the video of all the glory of facial hair removal at www.hotstickybun.com