Chris Morris / Las Vegas Sun

By Ron Kantowski

Tue, May 13, 2008 (2 a.m.)

Before Photos: Courtesy; After Photos: Steve Marcus / Las Vegas Sun

From left: Defenseman Jason Dest, Defenseman Jason Jozsa, Left wing Shawn Limpright, Defenseman Mike Madill, Left wing Bruce Mulherin, Defenseman Sean Owens, Forward Aki Seitsonen

During their five-year existence the Las Vegas Wranglers have found themselves in any number of hairy predicaments.

But none so literal as the one right now.

For the first time, the Wranglers have made it to the third round of the ECHL Kelly Cup playoffs, which means the beards they began growing in homage to playoff hockey tradition when the postseason began three weeks ago have fully sprouted.

More or less.

It’s not a pretty sight.

Wherever you turn, be it on the blue line, at center ice or in the attacking zone, there is stubble. There are whiskers in the crease; unused cans of Edge in the slot. The team barber has been traded to the Florida Everblades for Don Rickles and a bag of hockey pucks.

Playoff beards began to take form — some more slowly than others — in the National Hockey League during the early 1980s. The New York Islanders supposedly are to blame — er, started the tradition. At first, it used to be just a few players. Now, even guys who play air hockey send their razors and Lectric Shave to the penalty box once the puck is dropped in the postseason.

Every member of the Wranglers has grown a beard. Or at least is trying. Even Billy Johnson, the club president, had one until a week ago. He said it looked like “H-E Double Hockey Sticks,” so he shaved it off. The consensus among the players is that it was only a slight improvement.

Glen Gulutzan, the Wranglers’ coach and general manager, is the team’s only beardless wonder. During his playing days, that wasn’t the case. He said if his playoff beard were judged like plus-minus, his would have been a zero. Just good enough not to be considered bad and just bad enough not to be considered good.

Before Monday, it had been 16 days since Wranglers fans last saw the team. They must have been amazed Monday night when Gulutzan sent out a checking line made up of Grizzly Adams, Frank Serpico and Tom “Castaway” Hanks.

“It makes us look meaner and tougher and that’s what playoff hockey is all about,” Wranglers center Bruce Mulherin said. “The longer, the better.”

The wives and girlfriends might beg to differ.