In my household, Pierre Turgeon, Centre for the New York Islanders, was a sacred name. Seventy-seven was my brother's lucky number, and to this day, whenever I find a bike lock in my parents' house, Turgeon's birthday is the first combination I try. By contrast, Mark Messier, who played for the Rangers, was something of a curse word.

That's nothing compared to the elaborate superstitions and rituals that surround hockey games--especially the Stanley Cup playoffs. Peter Diamond memorializes the warrior's mask that is the playoff beard, transforms first-ever Olympic gold medalists the Winnipeg Falcons into angelic heroes and puts the Detroit Red Wings' traditional hat trick octopus on the ice, larger than life.

Diamond is currently based out of Vienna, Austria, but was raised in Canada, leaving him with an abiding love of hockey. His love began to wane after the Vancouver Canucks' heartbreaking loss to the New York Rangers (I was right there with you, sir), but hockey frequently finds its way into his myth-inspired illustrations, from dark fairy tale portraits to pieces drawn from Japanese woodblocks. You can read Diamonds explanations behind each piece on his blog and view more of his work on his portfolio site.

More From ComicsAlliance