Ranking the best and worst playoff beards in the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup finals

With the Stanley Cup Playoffs pushing into their final stages, the beards have had time to breathe, grow, and, in some cases, tell their own story.

The playoff beard is one of hockey’s most sacred traditions, and as always, there are those who honor it in full and those who do their best with what genetics allows. Here is where things stand.

Best - Jordan Staal

Carolina’s captain has a beard that is exactly what you would expect from a man built the way Staal is. Thick, full, and carrying a natural masculine weight, the veteran Hurricane has the kind of beard that looks like it was never not there. 

The only mild concern for superstitious fans is that it appears to have seen some light grooming along the way, which traditionalists will note is a mild violation of playoff beard code. Still, the overall product is hard to argue with.

Worst - Sebastian Aho

One of Carolina’s most important players throughout this run, Aho’s beard has not quite kept pace with his on-ice performance. He has managed some reasonable length, but the patching and lack of overall fullness are noticeable, particularly when standing next to teammates like Jalen Chatfield or Seth Jarvis. It is a respectable attempt that falls short of the standard his team has otherwise set in the facial hair department.

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Best - Seth Jarvis

Coming into the playoffs already working with an anchor beard, the Winnipeg native has let things evolve into something genuinely impressive. 

There is a blue-collar character to Jarvis’s facial hair that feels entirely appropriate, like a man who just came off a job site, which is fitting for a player whose work ethic and grit have defined his playoff run and suits him completely.

Worst - Mitch Marner 

Growing up in Toronto watching the playoff beard tradition play out, Mitch Marner clearly has every intention of participating, but genetics have not been particularly cooperative. 

There is not a great deal happening on his face compared to the fuller efforts around the league, and yet something is endearing about the fact that he is clearly trying. Many men know this feeling. Marner is simply living it on the biggest stage possible.

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Best - Jalen Chatfield 

Operating in full Brent Burns territory at this point, Chatfield may have the most authentic beard in the remaining field. His has clearly been left entirely to its own devices since the puck dropped on the post-season, and the result has character, texture and a story to tell. For a player and a team known for their hard-working identity, Chatfield’s beard is the perfect physical representation of what the Hurricanes are about.

Worst - Pavel Dorofeyev 

Having the breakout season of his career and emerging as one of the Vegas Golden Knights’ most dangerous offensive weapons on their run to the Stanley Cup Final, Dorofeyev’s face tells a very different story than his stat line. 

Next to nothing has appeared in the beard department despite what must be a genuine effort. You cannot fault the commitment, and you absolutely cannot fault the hockey, but in this particular competition, the Golden Knights winger is running last. Credit to him for trying.

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Best - Taylor Hall 

Similar to Staal, Hall sports a clean, well-maintained beard that carries itself with a certain quiet dignity. It is a respectable effort and looks the part, though placed alongside something like Jarvis or Chatfield, it comes across as perhaps a little too tidy for the full spirit of the tradition. Not a bad beard by any measure, just one that feels like it may have had a little outside help along the way.

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