The Mullet.

It’s not a hairstyle you see every day, at least not in this part of the country. But as the PCHA playoff s grew closer, several team members decided they needed something to bring them a little more luck. Something that had a little old-school hockey feel to it.

“Th e mullet is an old-school hockey tradition. Some super stars have rocked the mullet in the past,” said forward Cam Davis, who was one of the fi rst team members to cut his hair. “We went with the mullet because it shows we are dedicated to our sport and our team.”

Joining Davis were brother Sam Davis and teammates John Keshishian, Pat Vrba and Matt Schaben. Several other players, including Chase Bierbower and Steven Dempsey, took clippers to their short hair in support.

“At first I didn’t want to get it cause my hair wasn’t long enough,” Keshishian said. “But when there’s four other guys with mullets you make it work.”

Even though only a few players rocked what is sometimes referred to as the Confidence Cut, it helped unite the team in its playoff stint.

“Mullets go back a long time. We needed a tradition to keep us going into the playoff , to keep us on our toes,” said Alexi Kulikouskiy. “These guys committed to it. There would have been a lot of others but some of us couldn’t do it because of work. If I didn’t have to worry I would have done it too.”

Forward Adam Johnson did not cut his hair, but said the mullet is a respected part of hockey culture and a sign of intimidation. He said it gives the impression that, “If I look this ugly with my hair, imagine what I’ll do with my face to block a shot.”

It seems like a ridiculous superstition, but the Polar Bears’ PCHA title shows sometimes a superstition is what you need to bring home the cup.

“The best mullet always wins. Because you put on your helmet and you’re ready for business, then you win the championship game and you’re ready for the party,” Cam said. “But what is really great is when you stand for the national anthem and get to take your bucket off and you just have this disgusting mullet. It’s really what you live for.”

While several players put away the mullet for the season, a couple are still rocking the cut as a reminder of their championship run. “I’m keeping it for as long as I can,” Schaben said.

So if you see a group of guys with mullets walking around SRJC next season, chances are they are members of the Polar Bears hockey team and it’s playoff time.