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Superstitious

Am I, a hockey player and hockey mom, superstitious? Hells yeah. We hockey folks are extremely superstitious. It’s a crucial part of the experience. For example, one simply does not mention the word shutout until the horn has sound. Inevitably, if those words are mentioned before the game has ended, the other team will score. Do not be the guy that kills the shutout. Also, if the team is on a winning streak and you’ve worn a particular coat to the rink, don’t think you’re changing your coat now. You simply cannot mess with the mojo.

Hockey players have their own set of superstitions like taping their sticks a certain way, dressing in a certain order, wearing a particular undershirt, and playing a particular song in the locker room and for warmups. And then there are goalies, they’re so special. Watch a goalie at any level and you’ll see their superstitious ritual. Mine used to stand up hit the right post, the left post, and then the right post before moving into position. Marc Andre Fleury talks to his goalposts every time they give him a hand.

As for us parents, once we ensure we have the winning outfit/jacket on, we’re ready to head for the rink. Once there the routine is often the same, for me, it was to go grab a coffee from the nearest Dunkin’ or Starbucks. Naturally, this would lead to several pregame bathroom trips to ensure the bladder was empty before being trapped in the penalty box for the game. Other parents will sit in the same spot. Some parents, however, will move if the game isn’t going well. Goalie parents will migrate every period as will the forward dads. It’s crucial to the team’s success that every parent sit or stand at their winning spot.

Are you superstitious?

Posted on

Superstitious

Yesterday’s prompt asked if I’m superstitious, but I didn’t notice the prompt until after I had already finished my blog about our torturous allergy season here. The answer is that I am absolutely superstitious. It comes along with the hockey mom and hockey culture. Show me a hockey mom that’s not superstitious and I’ll show you snow in Miami (real meteorological snow, not the stuff referenced in Miami Vice.)

Are you superstitious?

So let me recount some of the superstitious ridiculousness that comes with being a hockey mom and/or player

  • Thou shall not utter the word shutout until the final buzzer has sounded. If you utter it before, it will be your fault when the goalie gives up a goal. This is one of the cardinal rules of being a goalie parent.
  • I wore this jacket and they won; ergo, I must wear this jacket to all future games, so the trend can continue. God forbid we wear another jacket and they lose, oh the regret that would spark.
  • Pregame rituals: for me, it was always grabbing a coffee before game time. Each player and parent has their own pregame routine.
  • Always tell my player or goalie good luck and have fun before they hit the ice
  • The goalie hits the goalposts in a certain order before every face-off.
  • The playoff beard. No shaving for the guys until they’ve won or been knocked out of the playoffs
  • Favorite shirt or piece of equipment. This item will be repaired until it can’t be repaired anymore because the player has to wear it.
  • Not washing equipment during the season. This one is a killer. You’d only have to walk near my garage during the season to know why.
  • The taping of the stick. Every player has a ritual for when and how they tape their stick before a game.
  • Pregame meal or drink (i.e Celsius.). We’ve definitely hit some gas stations before games to make sure they had their Celsius in hand.

What are some of your superstitions? Hockey folks, did I miss any?


Today’s accountability tracker:

  • Workout: 45-minute spin class, plus 15-minute cooldown courtesy of Apple Fitness+
  • Book: I finished Marcel Proust’s Finding Lost Time last time. Five years and seven volumes later, I’ve completed his masterpiece. Tonight I’m starting Mary Queen of Scots and the Murder of Lord Darnley by Alison Weir.
  • Word of the day is chiton. A chiton is a mollusk often found in tide pools.
  • Blog: done
  • Today’s song is Outta Our Heads by Dropkick Murphy’s