Weird Superstitions

[Purple Phart]

Being Friday, the 13th, I suspect that there are a goodly number of hockey players who are keenly aware of this date, and it's association with "bad luck".
While most folks don't subscribe to superstitious beliefs, more than a few hockey players do. I've personally seen and heard of some quirky behaviours associated with superstition, and goaltenders seem to have these in spades.
Some go as far as putting on equipment in a specific order, or wearing an item of clothing as a good luck charm, to the point of wearing it completely out. The order in which they take to the ice, or leave the ice, is another quirk.

Just for fun, can you relate some superstitions that you've observed, over the years ?

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[barriers]

Not OHL but as a kid I remember Patrick Roy wouldn't skate across the red or blue lines the few times I saw him. He would step over them as he headed to and from the bench. I'm not sure if he kept that up his entire career.

 

[Purple Phart]

Cory Perry had this pre-game routine, where he'd go onto the ice in slippers, with a stick & puck, and do stickhandling exercises.
I witnessed a shootout just this week where one of the goaltenders would take his water bottle, squirt 3 times behind his net, and take a drink, before facing each shooter.

 

[rve24]

Saw too many lol.
Gave some great nicknames outta the rituals thou.
Whatever gets the players in the right frame of mind, but some got tiresome making sure all was good pregame.
Got a couple good stories from the rituals over the years thou.

 

[AttackSound]

In the OHL you likely could write a book on all the oddities/superstitions that players do from year to year and team to team.

Here's what I would call the big ones that I would say I've heard of or seen.

1. Eating specific meals on gameday
2. Getting prepared a certain way with their equipment
3. Re-taping sticks a certain way before each game
4. Praying in the stand ahead of warm-ups
5. Changing sticks every period
6. Going for warm-ups in a specific order when stepping on the ice.
7. Players not even talking to their own families on gameday until after the game (goalie specific).

And those are just what I've seen or talked about with players or their families over the years. I'm sure there's way more than even those out there.

 

[Peachkings1922]

Do you remember when it's the end of the 3rd period and some bozo on your team says to your goalie only a couple more minutes and then shut out yours. I guess more a jinx but still superstitious. Next shot on net it's 12-1.

 

[Knownothing]

Dale Mitchell while playing for the Spitfires would be the last of the ice in warm-ups. He would skate hard to the bench, leap into the air and put shoulder to glass as he headed off. Every single game.

 

[Peachkings1922]

The Mike Foligno classic jump after he scored is up their with Tiger Williams riding his stick after he scored.

 

[Purple Phart]

Then, there was the good luck"toonie" buried into the centre ice face-off dot, at the Olympics.