When did the practice of growing stanley cup beards begin?

Question

Name as many ways as you can pro hockey players celebrate (or have celebrated) a goal or the end of a game i.e. butting heads with the goalie like rams. In my lifetime there seems to be an evolution.

Answer 1

Playoff beards began in the early 1980's with the New York Islanders

Answer 2

I'm not sure, but its been tradition for quite a while.  One thing I do know is that during the commercials on VS where they run through photos of all the cup winners, I noticed a young Wayne Gretzky (not sure on the spelling, never had been) without a beard (or with peach fuzz).  That could be a good indication that it wasn't very popular yet when he was a winner.

Answer 3

Billy Smith of the Islanders has been proclaimed by many as the first (and if you look at the Montreal Stanley Cup pictures from the 70s NO ONE had a beard).

Of course, when Billy did it, beards were still uncommon in the NHL.  Look at any hockey card set from the 60s and 70s and Cowboy Bill Flett is the only player with a beard.