Photos of what the stars of the NHL looked like when their careers started

Andre Ringuette/Getty Images & Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

The NHL is a league full of both veteran and up-and-coming stars - here's what some of the most impressive players in hockey looked like at the start of their careers.

The Stanley Cup playoffs offers some of the most exciting action in sports.

With sudden death overtime and every team just one hot goalie away from Stanley Cup immortality, playoff hockey represents edge-of-your-seat action from the moment the puck drops.

At the center of it all are the stars of hockey - players like Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, PK Subban and more who brought astounding skill to the sport the moment they took to the ice.

Now veterans of the league and masked with playoff beards, these players look a bit different than when they first joined the league as fresh-faced youngsters. Take a look below to see how players have changed since their NHL debut.