Hockey players are superstitious as they come, and one way they can show off these superstitions is by busting out a pre-game handshake.
Over at the IIHF World Championship, Tampa Bay Lightning rookie Mathie Joseph has become one of the glue guys and morale boosters.
One of the ways he's been getting his Canadian teammates going is by incorporating a custom handshake for 11 different players on his team, including a hug with Pierre-Luc Dubois, as a pre-game ritual. Prior to puck drop, Joseph, who barely knew any of the players on the roster, walks through the hallway outside the Canadian dressing room before their tournament games.
Joseph coordinated various different interactions with his teammates before arriving at the ice, and now, it's taking on a life of its own. TSN reporter Brent Wallace has more.
As Dylan Strome pointed out, Joseph executes high-fives, elbows, and even yells in French at some of the Francophones on the team.
In a short tournament like the IIHF Worlds, building team camaraderie can make all the difference in the world on which type of medal colour a team is presented with, and for Joseph, he's doing what he knows best as a way to build team chemistry in hopes that Canada can bring home the gold for the first time since 2016.
In 8 games so far, Joseph has notched 1 goal and 1 assist while playing in a bottom-six role.
