Hockey players are some of the most superstitious athletes out there.
Even though it takes a lot of skill to play the game, it’s just as important mentally as it is physically. Many players need a superstition in order to compete at that next level. There are the classic ones that everyone has heard before like tying one skate before the other, or eating the same pre-game meal. Then there’s former NHL goaltender Steven Valiquette who had a pretty strange one. In an interview with Danbury Hat Tricks, Valiquette admitted that he always had to find a rose before a game.
It’s kind of beautiful, isn’t it? Before signing with the KHL in 2009, Valiquette was the backup goaltender for the New York Rangers. In his first career playoff game, he relieved Henrik Lundqvist in the third period of games five and six, and allowed no goals on nine shots in 40 minutes.
No shame, Valiquette! You gotta do what you gotta do.
(H/T Danbury Hat Tricks)
