Superstitions go hand in hand with the drama in sports. As long as there has been competition there have been routines, articles of clothing, pregame meals or rituals that were necessary to achieve greatness. Even in everyday life we do certain things that might help our day be a little better.
Avoiding a crack in the sidewalk may not actually “break your mother’s back”, but some of us will dance around the walkway to avoid dooming our dear mother to such a potentially debilitating fate. Professional athletes can border on insanity with some of their pregame rituals, and hockey players can be particularly quirky. When it’s playoff time, every advantage is needed to provide the difference.
Wayne Gretzky used to drink a Diet Coke, ice water, a Gatorade, and another Diet Coke as a pre-game ritual. For as many records and goals as Gretzky scored, it’s hard to imagine more people didn’t try the same routine. Goaltender Glen Hall used to vomit before every single game. Hall finished his career with 407 career wins and three Vezina Trophies. Hard to argue with that routine, though it seems a little more taxing on the digestive system than Gretzky’s weird beverage cycle.
Like the Miller Lite commercial says, “It’s only weird if it doesn’t work.” Here are five amazing hockey playoff superstitions.
5. The Playoff Beard
No shocker here. If you have any comprehension of playoff hockey, you are well aware that Game 1 of the first round coincides with the collective shaving instruments in the NHL (and beyond) taking a vacation. There is no shaving until your team is eliminated from the playoffs. It began with the New York Islanders in the 1980’s almost by accident and continues today. Not everyone is blessed with follicular equity though, and for every spectacular display of “beardliness” there are some patchy, facial aberrations.
4. Conference Trophy Curse
To touch or not to touch, that is the question. There is no science involved here, and even less logic. In 1995 Steve Yzerman grabbed the Clarence Campbell Trophy after Detroit had secured their trip to the Stanley Cup Final. After the Red Wings were swept there was goofy speculation that Yzerman had somehow cursed the Red Wings. In 1997 after Detroit headed back to the Final, Yzerman avoided the conference trophy like it contained a gaggle of cobras. Detroit went on to win the Stanley Cup in 1997 and 1998. Since then there have been mixed results with the conference award, but you will still hear every announcer ask the question when the trophy is presented.
3. Crosby Rules
Sidney Crosby might be the best player in the game today, but he has plenty of help from his karma and odd routines. He will never call his mother on game days, always is the next to last person on the ice (Malkin has to be last), and specifically tapes all of his sticks a certain way on game day. No one is allowed to touch Crosby’s sticks once they are taped; otherwise it needs to be redone. He will only use the tape supplied by the home team during away games. Again, it’s only crazy if it works, sooooo……..
2. The Detroit Octopus
The origin of hurling cephalopods to the ice came from Detroit in the 1952 playoffs by the Cusimano brothers. The eight legs of the octopus symbolized the number of wins required to win the Stanley Cup. Though it has obviously increased to 16 wins required, the octopus became the unofficial mascot of the Red Wings. Actual octopi are hurled onto the ice during almost every Red Wing playoff game, home or away. While I love the tradition, it does beg the question, how do they get them into the arena?
1. It’s in the Bag
It may be dated, and may not be a superstition that many teams would want to try, but the New York Islanders set a trend even before the more popular playoff beards came into their own. The 1975 Isles were the second NHL team to overcome a 3-0 series deficit. The circus had been in town during the Isles series win against the New York Rangers and had left a prevailing aroma of elephant feces. When the Islanders went down three games to none against the Pittsburgh Penguins, they needed to find the mojo that helped them defeat the hated Rangers. Their secret weapon? A giant bag of elephant poop to replicate the stench of Madison Square Garden. Seriously.