Because the Stanley Cup Ultimate neared its conclusion, so did the respective playoff beards for the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers.
“I simply form of let it roll for the previous couple months. It is form of gross proper now,” mentioned Jonah Gadjovich of the Panthers earlier than their 5-1 series-clinching victory in Recreation 6. “I do not assume my spouse would let me get it for much longer.”
Each of those groups superior to the Stanley Cup Ultimate final season, too, with the Panthers profitable the championship then as properly.
“There’s a few guys which have even improved from final yr that I’ve observed,” Gadjovich mentioned.
It is time to honor among the greatest beards of the Stanley Cup Ultimate: our facial foliage awards.
Finest Viking Cosplay Beard: Mattias Ekholm, Oilers
The 35-year-old native of Borlange, Sweden, appears like he must be captaining a ship by means of the fjords on the best way to battle. His Viking-esque look has impressed a gaggle of Edmonton followers referred to as “The Dancing Ekholms,” who attend video games in horned helmets, kilts and warfare paint to get delightfully rowdy within the stands. When Ekholm returned from damage for Edmonton within the playoffs, they introduced a poster to the sport that mentioned “RETURN OF THE VIKING WARRIOR” and a horned-helmeted photograph of Ekholm on it.
Finest Beard For Taunting Opponents: Jonah Gadjovich, Panthers
The Panthers middle has probably the most spectacular thickets of facial hair on the crew. However in Recreation 3 towards the Oilers, he unleashed the complete potential of his playoff beard to taunt an opponent.
Darnell Nurse of the Oilers caught his tongue out throughout their struggle for some motive. After the scrap ended — and with Gadjovich’s nostril bloodied — the Panthers middle caught out his tongue to mock Nurse and the Oilers, with the cameras catching the gesture as his tongue reached his beard. Was it the form of indelible picture that will get celebrated on a T-shirt within the crew retailer?
Sure, it was.
Finest Mannequin For Males’s Grooming Ads: Jake Walman, Oilers
The Oilers defenseman has an aspirational beard. It is the type you’d see because the “after” instance in a industrial for a males’s grooming product: Lush, darkish and completely in live performance with the remainder of his facial options. It is a photograph shoot of King Leonidas. Properly executed, Jake Walman.
Finest ‘An Try Was Made’ Beard: Anton Lundell, Panthers
The Panthers middle has been attempting to sprout a playoff beard for the final three runs to the Stanley Cup Ultimate. In 2023 as a 21-year-old, he nonetheless appeared fresh-faced after a number of playoff rounds. “That is all I bought proper now. Not a lot I can do about it,” he lamented on the time. Quick ahead to 2025, and Lundell has … properly, not a lot of a beard, however he is bought one thing. A chinstrap? No matter it’s, we have fun the hassle, if not the execution.
Finest Goaltender Beard: Stuart Skinner, Oilers
Might Stuart Skinner’s beard cease a slap shot by itself? It is an intriguing sports activities science query that Skinner undoubtedly wouldn’t like to check — therefore the masks — however the easy proven fact that it may very well be contemplated is a testomony to its wooliness. It is the beard of a person who has seen some issues. Given Skinner’s roller-coaster playoff journey — benched within the first and final rounds, solely to get his job again ultimately — its world-weariness is completely applicable.
Finest Brad Marchand Beard: Brad Marchand, Panthers
Brad Marchand has the perfect Brad Marchand beard. It is scraggly and patchy, but it surely works. It is bought grey hairs that mark him as a 37-year-old NHL veteran. It is a beard that does not get in the best way of his fixed trash-talking at opponents and one which frames his face whereas laughing off the repercussions. Maybe most significantly, it is a beard that will not find yourself wanting like a frozen mess when Marchand and the Panthers are chomping down on their pregame Dairy Queen Blizzards.
Beard of the 12 months: Sam Bennett, Panthers
Gadjovich argues that teammates comparable to defenseman Aaron Ekblad and AJ Greer have whiskers worthy of “beard of the yr” standing on the Panthers. However just one participant can mix a playoff-leading offensive efficiency with excellent facial shrubbery.
No, not Leon Draisaitl of the Oilers, though the point-leading middle definitely got here near “beard of the yr” standing together with his vollbart — German for “full beard.”
The winner is Sam Bennett of the Panthers.
Bennett led the Stanley Cup playoffs in targets. He has been a driving pressure behind the Panthers’ return to the championship spherical with clutch performances on the highway and bodily play that muddies the traces of legality. However even when some opposing followers imagine he cheats the foundations, there isn’t any dishonest on a playoff beard for Bennett. Have a look at his foliage within the first spherical towards the Tampa Bay Lightning after which the tip product within the Stanley Cup Ultimate, the place it appears like he is bought the Lorax on his face. Congratulations to Bennett, his beard and any wildlife at the moment residing within it.
