Jeff Carter
Everything in this photos IS hockey: a giant ginger beard, multiple missing and very important teeth, and the freaking Stanley Cup. I love it. He had an amazing postseason and his line with Tanner Pearson and Tyler Toffoli was tremendous.
Anze Kopitar
That beard is SERIOUS Ebeneezer Scrooge material. I am curious if Kopitar hurt a hand, or something, and never told the public. He led the team with 26 points in the playoffs, but only five goals, AND 19 of his points were in the first two series. He had 4 assists in seven games against the Blackhawks and 3 in five games against the Rangers, and no goals in that stretch. Very strange for someone who was scorching hot in against the Sharks in particular, and his ice time did not diminish and his skating looked fine, but he lost all his puck finesse and almost always tried to dish it instead of take the shot. WE SHALL SEE.
Dustin Brown
HOCKEY. HOCKEY. HOCKEY.
Dustin Brown
Let's just go in for a closer look at Dustin Brown here. Liam McHugh of NBC was like, "Well, thank GOD he gets to shave THAT soon." It's like rusty steel wool. If he cuts it off properly, I could use it to clean the grout on my white-tile kitchen counter.
Dustin Brown, Los Angeles Kings
Nobody puts Baby in the corner, but methinks EVERYONE puts Baby in the Cup. Definitely best to do that when it's just been polished, because I am afraid for what will happen in or around that cup when the players get to have their way with it (they each get to take it for a day, and they CLAIM it is treated reverently, but... there are stories).
Alec Martinez
"HOLY SHIT YOU GUYS I JUST MADE THE PUCK GO IN AND WE WON THE STANLEY CUP I AM SO GETTING A RAISE."
Trevor Lewis
It should be noted that Trevor's face got jacked up IN this game. He was slashed by a stick. AND WENT BACK IN LATER. Seriously, watch one series, much less all four, and then realize how many games they played before the playoffs, and you realize what a freaking athletic gauntlet it is to win that trophy and thus why it's the awesomest one.
Mike Richards
Mike Richards has cultivated a soul patch in addition to his facial shag.
Marian Gaborik
Gaborik used to be a Ranger, and now he helped annihilate them. I love sports.
Justin Williams
I love the grey in his beard. And damn, I picked a good year to make Justin Williams one of my hockey boyfriends (because I am twelve). He was relentless, had more points in post-season Game Sevens than anyone in history, I believe, and had 9 goals and 16 assists. He was also my speculative pick for MVP, although Drew Doughty or Gaborik would've been fine with me also.
HOWEVER: We were down 0-3 in the opening series to San Jose, and I expressed frustration with Marian Gaborik, and then he turned it ON and we won the series. Alec Martinez appeared to contribute to two own goals in the Anaheim series, and when I expressed my displeasure with him rather colorfully in the Chicago series, he had two huge assists and then scored the Cup winner in double overtime. Two or three times I was vocal about my rage fog to Jessica during games, and we scored minutes later. So, I don't want to take anything away from Conn-Smyte winner Justin Williams, but I think we all know that my MAGICAL HATERADE was the true MVP. This means they can put my name on the cup, yeah? Yeah.
Bromance!
I love a man-hug. Also, Stoll, the King of the Face-Off, has a majestic piece of facial hair himself. I had a hard time getting a picture of it and Getty didn't have one, either, but it was dense like a rain forest.
Drew Doughty
Sweet child. This is so patchy. It must be such a relief to know all that crazyness did not sprout in vain.
Matt Greene
So TIDY.
Robyn Regehr
Sniffle. Regehr got the Cup second, from Dustin Brown, because he'd never touched it in his 15-year career, and had a good season and then got hurt and couldn't play in the finals at all. ALSO, he played his 1,000th game in February. Hockey is full of respect.
Willie Mitchell
He looks like he might become a mad axeman in the off-season.
Tyler Toffoli
And bringing up the beard rear is Tyler Toffoli. He's only 22 and his follicles are trying SO HARD but still his glee is largely hairless.
Bailey
It's got to be a blow when your mascot is more hirsute than you are. It's okay, Tyler. He may be a lion but tonight YOU can be on the prowl.
Jonathan Quick
That is one ecstatic goalie. He didn't face as many shots as Lundqvist, but in some ways that's just as hard because you can't space out and enjoy yourself alone in your end. You still have to stay sharp.
Darryl Sutter
This is Darryl Sutter's delighted face.
(He is famously, hilariously... like this. All the time. When asked what he'd tell his team after a hard Game 6 loss to Chicago, his answer was, "That our flight leaves at 11 a.m.")
Jonathan Quick, Dustin Brown
"I LOVE YOU MAN."
Darryl Sutter
Darryl Sutter is overcome with euphoria.
Anze Kopitar, Justin Williams
BEARD LOVE!
Darryl Sutter
Darryl Sutter is profoundly, orgasmically moved.
Darryl Sutter
Okay, actually, he did drop the face and let his happy flag fly.
Darryl Sutter and Christopher
And then his son flung himself at Darryl, and this happened, and I teared up. Christopher has Down's syndrome, and Sutter quit coaching when he was an infant to care for him, and then only took jobs in places where there were facilities for him, AND does a ton of work very quietly for Down's. The way he just sort of opens up with joy for his kid... ugh, y'all, I got misty.
Darryl Sutter and son, Los Angeles Kings
I MEAN. So happy.
Anze Kopitar
Apparently the Kings all have a bond with Christopher, and Kopitar was hugging him during his TV interview, and -- although he looks a bit like Serial Killer Aaron Rodgers here -- Anze was beaming so affectionately at Christopher when Christopher suggested the best thing to do would be to come back and win one again next year.
Christopher Sutter
Sniffle. I don't remember seeing much of this the first time they won, and I think that's because Sutter was new to the team that year. It's just lovely.
Los Angeles Kings, Stanley Cup Champs
JUBILATION. And so many beards. Thanks, guys. It was such a pleasure.
Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers
Oh, and don't be sad, Henrik. You faced 48 shots and were basically in some freaky zone the last two games... also, you're a damn handsome hunk of man. Can I call you Hunkrick? No? Yeah, I'm with you there actually, Anyway. Your beard is delicious.
Los Angeles Kings Locker Room
This random shot on the NBC Sports broadcast made me laugh. Half the people were still on the ice, and these dudes -- including Quick on the far end -- were just hanging out quietly in the locker room drinking Bud Light. At least import some good Canadian beer for the ones who were born up north, eh?