How Bjorn Borg and the 1980 Islanders Shaped Hockey’s Playoff Beard Tradition

The playoff beard custom started when the 1980 New York Islanders took inspiration from Swedish tennis star Bjorn Borg, who stayed unshaven during major matches.

"I always use this as an example of culture change, a cultural evolution that people are familiar with," said Andre Costopoulos. "It's something that has changed because there was a time when there was no such thing as a playoff beard, and now it's everywhere."

Two Swedes on the team, Anders Kallur and Stefan Persson, pitched the idea. As their squad racked up four Stanley Cups in a row, other players followed suit.

Back then, players kept clean-shaven during Cup games. The quick two-round playoff schedule, squeezed into 14 days, made growing facial hair impractical.

The NHL's switch to a longer format changed the reasoning, as adding extra rounds and spacing out games gave players time to sport substantial stubble. What started as a quirky habit turned into something bigger.

"So there's an action and then there's cultural transmission," Costopoulos said. Other teams started copying the Islanders' scruffy style, thinking it might bring good fortune.

Fast forward to the 2000s, and playoff beards became standard practice. Now, fans join players in skipping their razors during the chase for the Cup.

Yet this widespread acceptance might spell trouble for the tradition. With many players wearing beards year-round, spotting a playoff beard gets tricky. "If you look at a player, it's hard to say, is it a playoff beard or is it just a beard?" Costopoulos pointed out.

This shift mirrors how the 1992 instigator rule changed fighting. Players created new pre-fight rituals to match updated guidelines.

From tennis courts to hockey rinks, this tradition shows how sports customs spread and change. A simple nod to a tennis champion morphed into one of hockey's most recognized playoff symbols.