Before games, Dallas forward Matt Duchene relies on the same, tried-and-true routine. He blocks out a two-hour window for a nap, eats an identical meal — pasta and salmon — and spends time reviewing notes he's made in his journal.
Like many NHL players and coaches, Duchene is a creature of habit. Little pregame rituals and routines help them slip into the proper frame of mind for the next big game.
These familiar patterns can be sleep- or food-related. Or revolve around how they get dressed for a game. Or the way they warm up. Or how they tinker with their hockey sticks. Or be as simple as taking their dog for a walk.
Be careful, though, to lump these in with superstitions like Patrick Roy talking to his goalposts or Brendan Shanahan listening to Madonna.
“I have a routine, but I don’t think that means you’re superstitious,” Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson explained. “Lots of guys have routines.”
Serve it up
Food seems to be a common theme. Many have their go-to menu on game day.
For Vegas forward Pavel Dorofeyev, it’s pasta with alfredo sauce and chicken, while Stars forward Mikko Rantanen prefers chicken, pasta and sweet potatoes. Vegas forward Tomas Hertl has the same breakfast every morning — scrambled eggs with mushrooms, ham and onions.
It used to be 13 meatballs with lingonberry sauce and mashed potatoes with gravy for Minnesota Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson. But he’s changed it up this season.
“Went to a restaurant instead,” Gustavsson said. “It makes it a little easier.”
On the ice, Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood follows the same steps before each period. He taps the crossbar, the right post, left post, back to his blade and the crossbar, each pad twice and then his gloves.
“That’s just been a game-on, turn-the-engine-on, type thing," said Wedgewood, whose pregame meal is usually chickpea pasta with marinara sauce, two chicken breasts and a bowl of chicken noodle soup. “If I didn’t do it, I don’t think it would mentally screw me up.”
Coaches aren’t immune to their routines, either.
Over the years, Stars coach Pete DeBoer has taken to walking through downtown Denver to get to the arena (the Stars and Avalanche are meeting for a second straight postseason). It’s become a tradition for him.
“I’m probably going to get mugged now that I’m telling you this,” DeBoer cracked. “It’s a nice walk to the hotel.”
Sometimes, he even stops along the way at a pizza joint for a slice.
“They have a jalapeno-popper pizza with grape jelly,” DeBoer said. “Sounds crazy, but may be the best thing I’ve ever tasted.”
Game days
All routines are subject to change. Unless, of course, it involves how players put on their uniform.
“I always dress (the same) — left skate, left shin pad, left elbow (pad), but I don’t even think about it," Hertl said. “I just do it.”
Same with Vegas defenseman Ben Hutton: “I kiss the inside of my jersey when I put it on,” he said.
One frequent requirement — sneaking in a pregame nap. If they can’t sleep, at least they log some chill time.
“I nap around the same time, that’s just routine more than ritual. I was a little bit more (superstitious) when I was younger, but with my life the way it is, I’ve kind of had to change my schedule on the fly with a busy household,” said Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, who has four kids, including triplets. “I try not to overthink it.”
Following morning home skates, Carolina forward Mark Jankowski typically takes Lucy, his 6-year-old golden retriever, for a stroll.
“Get some sunlight,” said Jankowski, who was acquired by the Hurricanes in March. “Get the legs moving a little bit.”
Then, a pregame meal for Jankowski, followed by slipping on a pair of Normatec boots — compression therapy to enhance circulation. He naps (60-90 minutes) before taking off for the rink.
Keeping it loose
Washington goaltender Logan Thompson used to have numerous superstitions, including not stepping on cracks. It got to the point where, “if I would mess one up or if I would do something wrong, I think it would throw off my whole game,” he explained.
“Over the last two years just switched it up of making sure my body feels good and just keeping it loose,” Thompson added. “I feel like when you overthink too much, that’s when issues happen.”
For keeping it loose, he credits “sewer ball,” a game played in some corner of a hockey arena all over. Players form a circle and try to keep a ball from hitting the ground. If a player can’t, they’re out. The exact rules are always subject to debate.
“A good way to keep my mind off the game,” Thompson said.
As part of his pregame routine, Hertl cranks up the tunes. These days, his playlist is heavy Czech music because it's been setting the proper goal-scoring mood.
“I’m the kind of guy who can listen to everything," Hertl said. “I like just the songs I kind of know I can sing along. I have a terrible voice, I can’t sing, but this I do by myself.”
Other ways that players loosen up for a game: Gustavsson, like many, kicks around a soccer ball, while Vegas defenseman Noah Hanifin takes a cold plunge. Hanifin's teammate Brayden McNabb chomps on gum (peppermint) in warmups.
Players spend all sorts of time making sure their equipment is as prepared as them. Avalanche forward Jonathan Drouin spray-paints the bottom of his sticks to add a little extra weight. Stars forward Mason Marchment makes sure his stick is stiff and newly taped.
Duchene slightly tweaks his routine depending on if it's a road or home game. On the road, he includes rice with his pasta and salmon. At home, it's salad. He also naps in a hyperbaric chamber before home games.
“As a younger player, I was extremely superstitious, and I hated it,” said Duchene, who writes the title of a song — “Jim Bob” by Hardy — on his stick. "I did everything to the minute before a game. I was almost obsessive about it. I got away from it a few years back.
“My biggest thing is you do what you do to get prepared, and then you just throw the gear on and go play," he added. "That’s the most pure form of playing hockey. That’s how you do it your whole life. You don’t need to do ‘A-through-Z’ to get ready.”
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AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno, AP Sports Writers Aaron Beard and Dave Campbell and Associated Press Writer W.G. Ramirez contributed to this report.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL
Pat Graham, The Associated Press
