Playoff "Mind Games" in Hockey's history

[MaskedSonja]

Seeing the thread about alleged Mindgames like the Blues "suddenly" moving their practice yesterday, it made me wonder what type of "mind games" teams in the past have tried during the playoffs to get an advantage, or at the very least make things interesting. Are there any that stand out to you?

Don't know how long this thread will live, but I'd be interested to see what teams have done in the past to try and get an edge on their opponent(and whether it was successful or not)

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[Sinter Klaas]

Didn't Keenan bring the Stanley Cup into the Flyers's dressing room during the opening games of the 87' Finals? I remember Gretzky writing about that in his autobiography and how upset it made the Oilers.

 

[lextune]

Yep, they were so peeved that they sent their trainer (Sparky) to "steal" it and hide it in his trainer's room; as Gretz put it:

"Here is this historic game coming up (the first game 7 in a final in 16 years), and minutes before faceoff, the league couldn't find the Stanley Cup. You should have seen the bigwigs from the NHL panic. Sparky finally gave it back to them about three minutes before faceoff."

 

[MaskedSonja]

Yep, they were so peeved that they sent their trainer (Sparky) to "steal" it and hide it in his trainer's room; as Gretz put it:

"Here is this historic game coming up (the first game 7 in a final in 16 years), and minutes before faceoff, the league couldn't find the Stanley Cup. You should have seen the bigwigs from the NHL panic. Sparky finally gave it back to them about three minutes before faceoff."

I didn't know that. One would also question about messing with the Stanley Cup Mojo there(the idea you don't touch the cup until you've won it)


Wonder if Keenan dares try it again if the Flames make the final....

 

[Buck Aki Berg]

I want to say the Wings parked the Zamboni directly in front of the gate to the visiting team's bench at JLA before a practice during the '97 SCF so the Flyers had to crawl around it to get onto the ice. I'm not sure if it was the Wings, tho. Or the Flyers for that matter.

There're also countless last-player-off-the-ice-at-the-end-of-the-pregame-warmup stories that are good for a chuckle.

 

[Kyle McMahon]

In the '87 playoffs, Montreal had a tradition of scoring into the other team's empty net right at the end of the warm-up. Philly caught on to this and were prepared for it when the Habs did it again (Game 6 of the Wales Final I believe). It sparked a classic brawl as players from both dressing rooms started to file back onto the ice to start trading punches. It's a shame we'll probably never see the likes of it again.

 

[MaskedSonja]

In the '87 playoffs, Montreal had a tradition of scoring into the other team's empty net right at the end of the warm-up. Philly caught on to this and were prepared for it when the Habs did it again (Game 6 of the Wales Final I believe). It sparked a classic brawl as players from both dressing rooms started to file back onto the ice to start trading punches. It's a shame we'll probably never see the likes of it again.

Sounds like 87 was quite the year, two incidents involving Philly!

The Zamboni story sounds like a laugh. Thanks for everyone for sharing, and keep them coming

 

[Buck Aki Berg]

Prior to game 7 of the 2006 SCF, the Oilers put a loonie under the ice at centre for good luck. The Hurricanes saw it and dug it out.

 

[Oilers1*]

Prior to game 7 of the 2006 SCF, the Oilers put a loonie under the ice at centre for good luck. The Hurricanes saw it and dug it out.

When the Oilers upset the Stars and Avs in 97 and 98. Their trainer would collect ice shavings from the Edmonton rink, melt them down in a water-bottle,and then sprinkle the water on 'enemy' ice. That way, the Oilers always had a 'home-ice advantage'.

Colorado, in their old arena, used to shorten the visitor's bench. Scotty Bowman used bring an extension with him.

 

[golfortennis]

Did the Bruins ever mess with the visitors dressing room in the old Garden like the Celtics would?

 

[Morris Wanchuk]

1990 playoffs:

Bruins lose Bourque early in a series against the Whalers. Game 7 rolls around.

Warmups: No Bourque

Introductions: No Bourque

National Anthem: No Bourque.

Right before the the drop of the puck, they swing open the Zamboni doors and out comes Bourque. Garden erupts (My uncle says it was be "goose bumps" moment he has ever seen)

Bruins win series.

 

[skeena1]

In the '87 playoffs, Montreal had a tradition of scoring into the other team's empty net right at the end of the warm-up. Philly caught on to this and were prepared for it when the Habs did it again (Game 6 of the Wales Final I believe). It sparked a classic brawl as players from both dressing rooms started to file back onto the ice to start trading punches. It's a shame we'll probably never see the likes of it again.

I have heard more than once that when word came back to the Montreal dressing room that Claude Lemieux was in trouble out on the ice, there was more than a little hesitation on the part of some of his mates part to go back out. Pepe!

 

[MaskedSonja]

I have heard more than once that when word came back to the Montreal dressing room that Claude Lemieux was in trouble out on the ice, there was more than a little hesitation on the part of some of his mates part to go back out. Pepe!

Mr. Lemieux was a real popular guy, wasn't he?

And the Bourque story is interesting. What a way totally rev up the fans(though wouldn't he have had to have been on the "starting lineup" sheet for the opposing coach? But even then, Bourque not coming out would certainly have puzzled)

Regardless, awesome story, and Bruins finish it by winning the series

 

[lextune]

1990 playoffs:

Bruins lose Bourque early in a series against the Whalers. Game 7 rolls around.

Warmups: No Bourque

Introductions: No Bourque

National Anthem: No Bourque.

Right before the the drop of the puck, they swing open the Zamboni doors and out comes Bourque. Garden erupts (My uncle says it was be "goose bumps" moment he has ever seen)

Bruins win series.

One of the great moments in my hockey life. That whole series was insane.
B's were down 2 games to 1, and down three goals in the third period of game four before staging a comeback and winning 6-5. But that didn't kill the Whalers off....they won game 6 in overtime to force game seven....

....reenter Bourque.