Winning ugly: Playoff ritual has Aces looking scruffy

After all, they've already got the look nailed with their big, bold, burly beards.

Meanwhile, winger Matt Stefanishion looks like he finally stumbled back into civilization after hiding away for a spell as a mountain man/survivalist.

Defenseman Nick Tuzzolino, light on the mustache and heavy on the neck beard, looks like he should be raising a house in Amish country. Winger Colin Hemingway changed it up and opted for a sweet 'stache. And center Vladimir Novak, ever attentive to detail, limited himself to a neat goatee that looks positively professorial.

But most Aces went for the full beard, including a couple -- they know who they are -- who have a little bit of that drifter/hobo vibe going on.

This band of bearded brothers is following hockey tradition -- no shaving until their journey in the playoffs is over.

Given that the Aces are in the ECHL Finals against the similarly hairy South Carolina Stingrays -- Game 6 is Thursday night at Sullivan Arena -- most guys on both clubs haven't picked up a blade, other than the one at the end of their hockey sticks, for about two months now.

The New York Islanders dynasty that captured four straight Stanley Cups in the early 1980s is generally credited with popularizing playoff beards. One of the Isles, Hall of Fame winger Clark Gillies, was hairier than Bigfoot. By the way, Gillies is from -- we are not making this up -- Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, and is the future father-in-law of former Aces and UAA winger Justin Bourne.

The only close shave most of the Aces have endured lately came in Saturday's 3-2 overtime win in South Carolina, which kept them from being eliminated.

Granted, the Aces have nothing on all those dudes who were in town recently for the World Beard and Moustache Championships. Of course, all those world contenders are probably worthless on the forecheck, so there's that.

All the Aces want, of course, is to keep their facial hair for three more days or so -- they must beat the Stingrays, who lead 3-2 in the best-of-7 series, both Thursday night and Friday night to hoist the Kelly Cup and also raise a razor.

Until the final horn of the postseason blows, though, the beards stay.

After all, in the playoffs, the hairier you are, the better you are.

Find Doyle Woody's blog online at adn.com/hockeyblog or call him at 257-4335.