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 鈥 pasta and salmon 鈥 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 .
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.
鈥淚 have a routine, but I don鈥檛 think that means you鈥檙e superstitious,鈥 Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson explained. 鈥淟ots of guys have routines.鈥
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鈥檚 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 鈥 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鈥檚 changed it up this season.
鈥淲ent to a restaurant instead,鈥 Gustavsson said. 鈥淚t makes it a little easier.鈥
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.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 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. 鈥淚f I didn鈥檛 do it, I don鈥檛 think it would mentally screw me up.鈥
Coaches aren鈥檛 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鈥檚 become a tradition for him.
鈥淚鈥檓 probably going to get mugged now that I鈥檓 telling you this,鈥 DeBoer cracked. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a nice walk to the hotel.鈥
Sometimes, he even stops along the way at a pizza joint for a slice.
鈥淭hey have a jalapeno-popper pizza with grape jelly,鈥 DeBoer said. 鈥淪ounds crazy, but may be the best thing I鈥檝e ever tasted.鈥
Game days
All routines are subject to change. Unless, of course, it involves how players put on their uniform.
鈥淚 always dress (the same) 鈥 left skate, left shin pad, left elbow (pad), but I don鈥檛 even think about it,” Hertl said. 鈥淚 just do it.鈥
Same with Vegas defenseman Ben Hutton: 鈥淚 kiss the inside of my jersey when I put it on,鈥 he said.
One frequent requirement 鈥 sneaking in a pregame nap. If they can鈥檛 sleep, at least they log some chill time.
鈥淚 nap around the same time, that鈥檚 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鈥檝e kind of had to change my schedule on the fly with a busy household,鈥 said Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, who has four kids, including triplets. 鈥淚 try not to overthink it.鈥
Following morning home skates, Carolina forward Mark Jankowski typically takes Lucy, his 6-year-old golden retriever, for a stroll.
鈥淕et some sunlight,鈥 said Jankowski, who was acquired by the Hurricanes in March. 鈥淕et the legs moving a little bit.鈥
Then, a pregame meal for Jankowski, followed by slipping on a pair of Normatec boots 鈥 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, 鈥渋f I would mess one up or if I would do something wrong, I think it would throw off my whole game,鈥 he explained.
鈥淥ver the last two years just switched it up of making sure my body feels good and just keeping it loose,鈥 Thompson added. 鈥淚 feel like when you overthink too much, that鈥檚 when issues happen.鈥
For keeping it loose, he credits 鈥渟ewer ball,鈥 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鈥檛, they鈥檙e out. The exact rules are always subject to debate.
鈥淎 good way to keep my mind off the game,鈥 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.
鈥淚鈥檓 the kind of guy who can listen to everything,” Hertl said. 鈥淚 like just the songs I kind of know I can sing along. I have a terrible voice, I can鈥檛 sing, but this I do by myself.鈥
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.
鈥淎s a younger player, I was extremely superstitious, and I hated it,鈥 said Duchene, who writes the title of a song 鈥 鈥淛im Bob鈥 by Hardy 鈥 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.
鈥淢y 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鈥檚 the most pure form of playing hockey. That鈥檚 how you do it your whole life. You don鈥檛 need to do 鈥楢-through-Z鈥 to get ready.鈥
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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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