Stamford, U.S.A – No one takes beards more seriously than pro hockey players and their fans, who toss their blades each April when the playoffs begin.

The road to the championship is long, and the beards even longer. Which begs the question, are hockey fans superstitious or just super stylish? Philips Norelco, the leader in electric shaving and grooming, has teamed up with legendary hockey pros Jeremy Roenick and Mike Modano to star in The Playoff Beard Follies,an outlandish three-part video series from Funny or Die that enlightens the world on hockey playoff beards and the faces behind them.

“People might be surprised to hear that there is nothing I miss more about the game than growing a sweet playoff beard,” said Jeremy Roenick, pro hockey commentator and playoff beard professional. “That’s why I decided to come out of retirement, so I could give it another shot.”

“Being known for my skills on the ice is great, but I wish I’d gained more notoriety for my awesome playoff beard,” said Mike Modano, future hall-of-famer and playoff beard connoisseur. “I jumped at the chance to team up with JR and Philips Norelco to give it another ‘grow’ and really show the world what I’ve got.”

Rumors of a bearded rematch between Roenick and Modano have been circling since the beginning of the 2012 playoffs, and the time has finally come for sports fans everywhere to see real pro beards in action. Throughout the Funny or Die series, Roenick and Modano will explore this sacred hockey tradition, while reconnecting with their former playoff-bearded selves. In “Missing the Beards,” fans can watch the duo come to grips with what they miss most about their hockey careers – playoff beards.

These rivals on the ice have had rival facial hair preferences over the years as well. Modano brought the power of a pro beard onto the ice more often than Roenick. According to data from Elias Sports Bureau, Modano holds the Minnesota/Dallas franchise career record with 11 overtime goals, all of which were scored while bearded.

In 2007, a bearded Modano scored his 500th career regular-season goal, putting him in a class of only four US-born players in the 500-goal club. On the other side of the facial hair spectrum, a clean-shaven Roenick set a rookie record in the 1990 playoffs by scoring 11 postseason goals, a team record that still stands today. In 2004, Roenick scored a critical overtime goal making him one of only nine players in hockey history with at least four career postseason overtime goals.

“Philips Norelco has tapped two of hockey’s greatest to celebrate the ritual of hockey playoff beards in a humorous way that brings the topic of grooming into everyday conversations,” said Jacopo D’Alessandris, head of marketing, Philips Consumer Lifestyle. “The intensity that hockey fans bring to beard-growing provides a great backdrop to reinforce the fact that Philips Norelco is all about pro tools for real guys, with game-changing electric shaving and grooming products that offer a championship trim worthy of any playoff beard.”

Fans can become a part of the playoff beard conversation by sharing their bearded look on Twitter with the hashtag #HairiestStanley for a chance to be honored as “Beard of the Week” and win free Philip Norelco grooming and shaving products to keep their style in check. For more information and to see the Funny or Die Playoff Beard Follies presented by Philips Norelco, visit facebook and follow @ShaveExperts.

Image Courtesy of  Schmid Christophe / Shutterstock.com

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