Not Qualified To Comment » Blackhawks Andrew Ladd Boxes Equipment Manager Before Every Game [And Other Crazy Hawks Superstitions]

Blackhawks Andrew Ladd Boxes Equipment Manager Before Every Game [And Other Crazy Hawks Superstitions]

November 14, 2009 at 8:57 am | Chicago Blackhawks, NHL
By: Stormin' Norman Disciple

The Blackhawks are playing some filthy hockey this season. Although the team has been riddled with early season injuries to many key players, they have still been able to hang onto the lead in the Central Division. But what is the key to all their success the past few years? Some say its an influx of young talent. Most people are convinced it was a shift in management style by the front office. I would like to posit a new theory. The reason the Hawks are good is due to a number of crazy superstitions. ESPNChicago recently asked every single Blackhawk player and coach what their superstitions were and the answers range from strange to hilarious. Brent Seabrook had too many for the piece and definitely too many for this post, but feel free to check out the link if you want to see more. Here are the highlights, led by Andrew Ladd’s odd boxing ritual:

Left wing Andrew Ladd: I box our equipment guy before every game. Before warm-ups, Clint Reif and I box. No head shots, just body shots, but I get close to his nose sometimes. Clint enjoys it. It’s either me or his wife. I think he’d rather get it from me. He fights back, but I have like a two-foot reach on him. Home and road we do it.

Center John Madden: I used to change my laces every single time I skated. I used to cut them out every single time, but then I realized I was wasting a lot of laces. Now I just change them every game, so I cut them out after every game and wear new laces until after the next game. The guys kind of find that weird. At one point in ‘03, when we [the New Jersey Devils] won the Cup, I started cutting them out between periods, and we kept winning, so I kept doing it. That was pretty crazy. But I’ll tell you one thing about superstitions: Whether you’re winning or losing or whatever, you’ll drive yourself crazy after a while, so I don’t recommend them for anyone.

Left wing Patrick Sharp: … I also have a tennis ball I carry around on game day — throwing it around, bouncing it off the wall, tossing it to people, just doing whatever with it. It gets me into the game.

Defenseman Duncan Keith: I’m usually the last guy to come into the room on game day to get dressed, and the guys expect me to do my wolf howl before I get ready. They call me “The Wolf,” so I do this wolf howl, but I can only do it in the room before I get ready.

Goaltender Cristobal Huet: I try not to call it superstitions — more like rituals. I go from left to right when I get dressed. Left skate, right skate. Left pad, right pad. Like that. I started that in juniors, and I just kept it up.

Right wing Adam Burish: …I have three or four goofy drinks I drink before the game. It’s some little concoction that I mix up that makes me wild and crazy out there.

Center Tomas Kopecky: I am a superstitious guy. First, Buff drives me to the game and we have a 4:30 “chew” [both chew tobacco] at my place. When he drives, it’s the seat belt automatically with him behind the wheel. When we get to the United Center, I get out of the car sweating. I have a couple others.

The one thing I do during warm-ups is I always spit on all four [faceoff] circles. The two in our zone and then the two near center ice on our side. When I get up from my nap I always drink a vitamin C drink with water, and then when I get to the rink, I never touch the jersey until I put it on.

Defenseman Brian Campbell: I don’t like the knob of my stick being touched before a game. I don’t mind it in practice and I’ve paid off the guys next to me so they watch my stick when I’m not there. It’s kind of soft and I just don’t like people touching it.

Are all these crazy traditions what keep the Hawks winning? I’m not sure, but they are fun either way. The best part is that video of Ladd with a black eye trying to explain its not from his crazy boxing ritual.

h/t: Ethan