The 2010-11 NHL regular season will end around 9:00pm Sunday, forbidding any overtime or shootout shenanigans. The Washington Capitals’ season concluded at around 9:45pm Saturday night. Before you and your hockey friends head out for a celebratory drink before the Caps take on the Rangers next week, consider the state of your chin. Are you sporting a bit of weekend scruff? A well-kept van dyke? A two-foot beard tucked into your belt to signify your status as King Under the Mountain? In any case, shave it. Shave it now. The season is over, and the time has come to start fresh.

From Monday morning until the night Alex Ovechkin hoists the Stanley Cup, we vow not to shave.

We now begin our second annual #beardpact, where the Caps faithful lay down their razors in the hopes of triumphant wins. Preceding every Caps game during the playoffs we will post a #beardpact update featuring the hairy chins of you, our faithful readers.

This year our #beardpact will not only include the simple task of not shaving. We’re taking it to the next level. Wearing your favorite Caps shirt/jersey when the Capitals win? WEAR IT EVERY GAME. Watching the game with your pals at your local watering hole? BE THERE EVERY GAME. Basically, whatever you are doing when the Caps are winning, KEEP DOING THAT.

I’ve already started a #beardpact column on my TweetDeck, and it seems full of questions, so let’s cover the ground rules.

The holy grail (Photo credit: Kyle M.)

It’s as simple as that. Every game day we’ll scan the tweets and post your fuzzy faces for all the world to see. In addition we’ll keep an eye on the players themselves and see what their chins can muster. Not a guy? Don’t feel discriminated against. Show us what you’ve got. Hair, nails, shoes, anything — just make it RED. Tweet it and we’ll see it. If you’re part of a more official beard-growing charitable endeavor, put it in your posts and let everyone know how to help out. Don’t forget that the Caps themselves are participating in the Beard-A-Thon, so be sure to contribute to your favorite player.

That about covers it. It’s been a long, rough season. Let’s make our beards just as long and rough. Our significant others may hate it, but they’ll see the payoff when we’re all done. Give your beards one last shave and let’s start it up.