warning Hi, we've moved to USCANNENBERGMEDIA.COM. Visit us there!

Neon Tommy - Annenberg digital news

Superstition On The Ice: Hockey Players' Rituals

Lauren Ammatuna |
August 17, 2011 | 10:20 a.m. PDT

Staff Writer

Crosby is notoriously superstitious about his stick. (SouthCentral via Creative Commons)
Crosby is notoriously superstitious about his stick. (SouthCentral via Creative Commons)
It is well known that hockey players are some of the most superstitious people out there. 

Even the most famous NHL players have been known to have some quirky superstitions. 

Some keep their superstitions secret, while others are a little more willing to share. Sidney Crosby – one of the most superstitious players in the business – doesn’t let anyone touch his stick once he has taped it up in a way that only he knows how. If anyone touches the stick after he has taped it up, he has to get a new stick and re-tape it. 

These random quirks of the NHL players add spice to the sport. So in my excitement for the impending season, I began to wonder if any of the players on the USC team had any superstitions.   

In search of an answer I talked to Assistant General Manager Johnny Nguyen, who directed me to senior Adam Zacuto. 

Zacuto is one player who is proud of his pre-game rituals and superstitions.  

Before every game, without fail, Zacuto buys his favorite coffee from Starbucks to get his pre-game caffeine fix. He listens to the same pump-up songs by Eminem, Lil Wayne, Dr. Dre and AC/DC on his iPod to help get into the zone. In one of his more unique superstitions, Zacuto tapes his stick heel to toe with only white tape – never black. Without exception, he puts on all his left gear first, even taping his shin pads the same way: “Two wraps around each leg…left first of course.”

The superstitions do not stop at the player level. There are even superstitions that the whole team follows. 

“[The] goalies always walk out onto the ice first when leaving the locker room for warm-ups, [while] the team captain is always last,” Zacuto said.  

While such superstitions may seem silly to some, those who are fans of the sport understand that it is part of the hockey culture. Knowing about these superstitions is a fun way for fans to understand the players a bit better, since it makes the game seem more personal.

On September 21 USC and UCLA will face each other for Rivalry Night, at the Honda Center in Anaheim. The cross-town rivalry is alive and well in this hockey game, as the Trojans went 4-0 against the Bruins last season, taking the Cross Town Trophy home. 

Will honoring superstitions help bring USC continued success this season? We’ll just have to wait and see.

______________________

Reach Lauren by email, or follow her on Twitter.



 

Buzz

Craig Gillespie directed this true story about "the most daring rescue mission in the history of the U.S. Coast Guard.”

Watch USC Annenberg Media's live State of the Union recap and analysis here.