Hockey Superstitions

Table Of Contents

Introduction
 
GROUP SUPERSTITIONS Universal Tribalism
The Playoff Beard
The Playoff Beard Gains Momentum
The Playoff Beard Reaches the Owner’s Box
To Lift or Only to Smile?
Don’t Touch Stanley Unless You’ve Earned the Right
Change of Numbers, Change of Luck
Sticks: The Wand Is Pure Magic
Pyramid Power
Kate Smith
Don’t Follow Death
Detroit’s Octopus
Crappiest Superstition Ever
Stan the Man
The Net Is Sacred
The March to War
Last Taps
A Magical Few Weeks
The Mascot
Order of Dress
A Good Cob
The Lucky Loonie
Eat Right
A Coach’s Tie
That’s Not a Rug
The Lucky Butt of L.A.
Referees Are People, Too
Superstitions on Air
Fandemonium
 
 
PLAYER SUPERSTITIONS To Each His (Crazy) Own
KARL ALZNER: Crazy Eights
SERGE AUBRY: Sartorial Exorcism
ED BELFOUR: Noli Me Equipment Tangere
BILL BEVERIDGE: Hey, Buddy
PETER BONDRA: Counting One to Five
Quick Shot: DANIEL BOUCHARD
BRUCE BOUDREAU: Groundhog Day
RAY BOURQUE: Lace ’Em Up, Over and Over
JOHNNY BOWER: Ancient Beliefs
DARREN BOYKO: Time to Worry
DANIEL BRIÈRE: Do Unto Other Sticks As You Would Have Them Do Unto You
MARTIN BRODEUR: Family and Hockey Can Coexist
PETER BUDAJ: D’oh
GERRY CHEEVERS: Better the Mask than the Face
Quick Shot: CHRIS CHELIOS
JACQUES CLOUTIER: Red Is the Colour of Victory
SIDNEY CROSBY: Sorry, Mom, Can’t Talk
WILF CUDE: Rabbit’s Foot—or Not
Quick Shot: JOE DALEY
GERRY DESJARDINS: Personal GPS at Work
SHANE DOAN: Good Player, Good Book
KEN DRYDEN: Smart, but Superstitious All the Same
PHIL ESPOSITO: Lord, There Goes a Scorer
TONY ESPOSITO: Just Let Them Be
Quick Shot: BOB ESSENSA
RAY FERRARO: Chicken Parm for All Times
Quick Shot: BOB GAINEY
Quick Shot: BERT GARDINER
BRUCE GARDINER: Potty Trained
BOYD GORDON (and MATT BRADLEY): A Most Delicate Touch
SCOTT GORDON: Get a Grip
“RED” GOUPILLE: The Real Thing
Quick Shot: RON GRAHAME
“CAMMI” GRANATO: What a Doll
 “WIN” GREEN: Trained to Win (or Tie)
WAYNE GRETZKY: Not Too Good for the Rest of Us
GLENN HALL: The Fine Art of Upchucking
DOUG HARVEY: Always a Close Shave
Quick Shot: JOHAN HEDBERG
BRYAN HELMER: Tells a Good Story
PAUL HENDERSON: Even Heroes Believe
RON HEXTALL: Smack, Boom, Bang!
DALE HUNTER: Lucky Horse Blanket
“PUNCH” IMLACH: The Fearful Dictator
GARY INNESS: Just Relax
Quick Shot: JAROMIR JAGR
PETR KLIMA: One and Done
GUY LAPOINTE: Messing with a Superstition
GEORGE LARAQUE: Here a Bump, There a Bump
STÉPHAN LEBEAU: Game Day by the Clock
PELLE LINDBERGH: Pripps, Please
DOUG MACLEAN: Four-Leaf Clover
KEITH MAGNUSON: Green Means Go, and Green Means Win
EVGENI MALKIN: Playing Footsie
CESARE MANIAGO and the Lucky Sock
Quick Shot: “MUSH” MARCH
JOHN MCINTYRE: Alpha and Omega
KYLE MCLAREN: Clueless in San Jose
SAMMY MCMANUS: No Number 13, No Matter What
Quick Shot: GILLES MELOCHE
MARK MESSIER: Don’t Worry
STAN MIKITA: Butt, Of Course
ALFIE MOORE: Hat/No Hat
JUSTIN MORNEAU: Roy’s Biggest Fan
LOU NANNE: Same As It Ever Was
RICK NASH: Too Many, Too Private
BERNIE NICHOLLS: “Pumper-Nicholl” and Twig
Quick Shot: JOE NIEUWENDYK
BOBBY ORR: Even the Greatest Make Believe
MIKE PALMATEER: The Popcorn Kid
BERNIE PARENT: Phantom of the Crease
Quick Shot: COREY PERRY
Quick Shot: JACQUES PLANTE
Quick Shot: FÉLIX POTVIN
Quick Shot: STÉPHANE QUINTAL
CRAIG RAMSAY: Two to Be Good
Quick Shot: BILL RANFORD
“CHICO” RESCH: Baby, Don’t You Drive That Car
LUC ROBITAILLE: Tales of the Tape
PATRICK ROY: Herky-Jerky Quirky
GEOFF SANDERSON: The Long and Short of It
Quick Shot: LAURIE SCOTT
EDDIE SHORE: Feared and Afraid
Quick Shot: GARY SIMMONS
Quick Shot: CHRIS SIMON
Quick Shot: ALEX SINGBUSH
Quick Shot: TYLER SLOAN
GARY SMITH: Dressing, Dressing, Dressing Room
CONN SMYTHE: A Real Screamer
Quick Shot: DOUG SOETAERT
MATS SUNDIN: No Triskaidekaphobia Here
MAXIME TALBOT: Whole Lotta Believin’
JOCELYN THIBAULT: Calming Down
WAYNE THOMAS: Now That’s Quick
Quick Shot: “TINY” THOMPSON
Quick Shot: MARK TINORDI
JOHN TONELLI: A Little Spit
Quick Shot: LOUIS TRUDEL
DARCY TUCKER: Same Old, Same Old
RON TUGNUTT: Move It or Lose It
MARTY TURCO: What Was He Thinking?
Quick Shot: ROGIE VACHON
STEVE VALIQUETTE: Insane in the Membrane
PHIL WATSON: Believe It or Not
Quick Shot: BERNIE WOLFE
 
Acknowledgements
Photo Credits