The Portland Winterhawks are exactly halfway through their 68 game schedule. The players have answered questions related to games, practices, and their young careers over the first 34 games of the 2018-2019 season.
The team is currently tied for second place in the U.S. Division with the Spokane Chiefs, but over the next two weeks the players are focused on rest and recovery in preparation for the second half of the season.
The Winterhawks, are on their holiday break until December 28th.
Over the last several weeks I’ve been asking the players and coaches a lighter question:
“Do you have any pregame rituals or superstitions?”
Each player and coach took the time to answer; some were more revealing than others. I asked a few players to nominate others for any potential weird quirks as well.
In numerical order, get-to-know the Winterhawks beyond just what they do on the ice:
#1 Shane Farkas –
“You know, being a goalie you would think there would be a lot of weird stuff, but nothing really which is surprising. I don’t want to throw anyone under the bus, but there are a couple of guys though where you say, “what are you doing?”
#2 Kade Nolan –
“It is actually pretty random for me. I find when I have superstitions I don’t play my best, so I try to keep it simple with a light mind. If we are on a winning streak I will keep the same pregame meal though.”
#3 Nick Perna –
“I do like to put my right shin pad on before my left, but I wouldn’t say I’m too serious; I’m pretty laid back. I like to have a little fun before the game though.”
I learned quickly from others Nick was one of the players who left out part of his game day ritual.
#5 Matt Quigley –
“Not anything too big. I come to the rink everyday. I get changed and get my stick and tape it. I get a bottle of water, go grab some energy chews, then I go grab a peanut butter jelly sandwich and play sewer ball until meetings. I don’t have any too big, maybe a little bit left then right on the skate tying, but nothing too superstitious.”
#7 Michal Kvasnica –
“I don’t have any rituals, but I do like to go to sleep after the pregame skate. I like to skate. We don’t have to go on pregame skating as a team, but I like it and have it in Europe before every game. I will eat pasta for lunch and the same kind because I like it, then a nap. When I nap I have a blanket in my bed because I don’t want to be cold; blankets help. What I don’t like is having the television because it disturbs me when I’m trying to sleep.”
#8 Cody Glass –
“Probably my equipment; left to right. No one touches my stick which is the biggest thing. [Joachim] Blichfeld always tries to touch it, and I get mad at him for it. If he touches it I yell at him and we get in an argument.”
During warmups around six minutes left Blichfeld and Cody have a handshake where they then spin into their stretching. Cody described it further, “Soon as he came into the league we became really close; it was something we picked up. We do our little handshake thing then do a puck batting in the air going down the ice and then shoot. It loosens us up in warmups and makes it more fun.”
When asked if there is anyone on the team who have anything weird – “I think Freddy [Jared Freadrich] and Hughesy [Ryan Hughes] they go cold shower before the game. I think Perna and Robbie [Fromm-Delorme] have maybe 14 peanut butter sandwiches before the game?”
#9 Lane Gilliss –
“I just take a pregame nap every game day. I’m under the covers, deep sleep, in my bed. I know a bunch of us have handshakes before every period, which I think is normal. I like to keep it light. I’m sure there are lots of guys who do the same thing every game. A lot of guys go to the bench to tape their sticks before the game.”
#11 Robbie Fromm-Delorme –
“As long as I’m not late; if I’m early it gives me more time to prepare mentally and physically. I’m not a big nap guy; I feel it makes me slower.”
Along with Nick Perna, Robbie also decided not to mention his peanut butter sandwiches before the game.
#12 Reece Newkirk –
“I eat a pregame meal at home. I usually have one cinnamon bun before every game. I take a nap, bed napper for sure; I go full on to bed.”
#14 Jake Gricius –
“I always eat my pregame meal around 12:30 then take a nap. I normally try to shut everything down for my nap and get a mental break to rest. I will shut everything off and get under the covers for a true nap. After that at the rink I have a bunch of routines with the guys, but nothing crazy; just handshakes and stretches.”
#15 John Ludvig –
“It is the same handshakes with the same guys. I eat the same food, gluten free pasta with red sauce. I also have to keep my sticks all the same way. I try not to change anything though. I’m a big time nap guy. If I’m tired I could sleep anywhere, but for sure prefer my own bed.”
#18 Tyson Kozak –
“Usually I wake up as early as I can and get breakfast in. I usually mix up my breakfast, but usually includes some toast, peanut butter, and some eggs.”
#19 Ryan Hughes –
“I couldn’t possibly run you through everything, I have way too many. The list includes handshakes, eating the same meal, throw six pucks on the ice before warmups; those are just a couple though. I eat spaghetti with a rose sauce. I like to nap before the games and go to the bed for sure. I sleep for an hour or an hour and a half. I started throwing six pucks when I first came into the league, so I just keep throwing six.”
When asked if there is anyone on the team who have anything weird, Hughes said, “Honestly trying to keep up with mine keeps me busy enough not to notice what other guys are doing, but I will say Jared Freadrich and I take an ice bath before every game.”
#20 Joachim Blichfeld –
“I just try to stick to the same routine and am not too superstitious. Before the game I focus on myself and getting ready.”
Joachim, usually good for a dynamite quote, wasn’t as forthcoming as Cody Glass.
#21 Brendan De Jong –
“I’m just the usual hockey pregame meal with pasta and get my nap. I’m not overly superstitious. I just want to get my body ready for the game.”
#22 Jaydon Dureau –
“Mine depends on my mood or the day of the week. Weekday is usually covered by school. I like to get with Newkirk and tape our sticks together and talk about the game. Music is for me what I’m superstitious about. When I’m in the truck with my buddy we always have a certain song on at a certain time, which happens to be ‘Like a G6’. I nap sometimes, and when I do, I like to have alternative music on and run a fan.”
Dureau easily had the most fun with this question. He was smiling and laughing during the entire interview.
#24 Seth Jarvis –
“I don’t have too many, but I like to tape my stick as soon as I get to the rink. Other than that I like to keep it pretty loose. I don’t want to be too strict because I don’t want to get in my head, so as long as I have flexibility to take in whatever happens because you can’t expect everything. I want to take everything in stride and perform. I wasn’t a nap guy at the start, but when you are playing 60 something games you can start to get a little tired. So now I’m starting to take short, little naps to get as much energy as I can before the game. I can sleep anywhere, I just find a spot and lay there, then goodnight.”
When asked if there is anyone on the team who have anything weird, Jarvis was quick to answer, “There are a couple of younger guys like Perna and Robbie who eat at least four peanut butter sandwiches before the game. I look at them and say ‘come on’ but that is it.”
Another vote for Perna and Fromm-Delorme for the quirkiest pregame ritual.
#26 Mason Mannek –
“I like to keep everything the same, starts with waking up with a shower. The biggest thing for me is treating the day like any other day. I don’t want to stress that it is a game day to get it in your head too much. I do have two little billet brothers at home, so I like to run around with them in the morning after the pregame skate. I like to screw around to get my mind off it for a minute, but once I wake up from my nap I’m focused.”
#27 Jared Freadrich –
“I like to get a nap in and eat before I head to the rink. I’m a bed napper for sure and then have a cup of coffee to wake myself up before the game.”
Jared chose not to share about the ice bath like Hughes.
#29 Nick Cicek –
“I have my handshakes with my guys before the team takes the ice. Honestly not too crazy, but some guys sure do. I want to stay focused throughout the day.”
#31 Dante Giannuzzi –
“I usually just try to get a meal in and hydrate quite a bit. Just make myself feel as good as possible before I get to the rink. Then as soon as I get to the rink try to get dialed in and re-tape my stick before every game even if it is looking pretty good, still have to re-tape it. I always tape it heel to toe and then re-grip too. Everything I put on my equipment wise has to be left side first then right side. I usually like to go on the bench and look around a little bit before getting changed. I’m a big pasta guy and chicken for my meals. I try to get off my feet as much as I can when we aren’t on the ice. When I nap it is full out, lights off and under the blankets. I sleep pretty hard, but it makes me feel good. I try to stay rested and come ready for the game. [In warmups] We sometimes face 3-on-0s and 5-on-0s so you have to battle for those, you are just having fun out there while still getting prepared and get loosened up.”
#37 Haydn Delorme –
“I like to hang out in the room and stickhandle before the game. I want to keep my hands going. I eat pasta and keep it simple; whatever the billet parents make I eat, thanks to them.”
#58 Clay Hanus –
“I like to have a nice pregame meal around 12:00 and take a nice nap. I would say I like to turn the lights off and sleep for an hour or two. I like to be very relaxed before my games, it is when I play best when I’m relaxed.”
#71 Cross Hanas –
“I go out to the bench to tape my sticks and get ready. I also throw a couple of pucks out on the ice. I usually take a pretty long nap. I’m a bed napper for sure with nothing on noise wise for an hour and half. My pregame meal is pretty important which I mix up, but usually includes pasta.”
Associate coach Kyle Gustafson –
“I usually stay here [at the rink] all day. I get here early. I run our pre-scout so I want to make sure I’m watching the team either on the ice or on video. My ritual is staying here all day grabbing a nap in my office as opposed as going to go home to take care of that. It is nap, up at 3:00, coffee, three lozenges on the bench.”
Kyle shared a story from several years ago regarding pregame rituals and former coach Travis Green, “Travis mentioned, ‘if we are staying here all day we go to lunch together as our thing.’ He said, ‘alright guys, I will pick the spot, I will buy, and we will go until we lose.’ That was the start of 21 wins in a row, so he was on the hook for 21 Wine Time downtown Portland checks. We didn’t even get a punch card out of it.”
“It is a cool story because it just became what you do; we never switched it up, even if we lost, we went to this place. We win the championship, Travis goes to Utica, the next year we are playing Game 7 here in Portland. Without any kind of warning, Travis knew we would be at Wine Time. He shows up. He’s coaching Utica, but just knew we would be there, so he surprised us, and then watched the game.”
Assistant coach Don Hay –
“I like to go home and have my pregame meal and rest for a little bit. For my naps I’m on the couch with the television on. I don’t like to sleep too much; I try to stay active. I want to get all my things in order before coming to the rink. I like to do the same routine and it starts with coming to the rink early. I like to work on things we want to do in the pregame skate. Then make sure if there are guys you have to talk to you do and touch base with them. I don’t have any real superstitions. I just believe in being on time and being ready to play. I want to be excited about playing. Junior hockey may seem long for players, but it is actually short. They need to enjoy their time in junior hockey which is my biggest message to the players because it is a fun time.”
Head coach Mike Johnston –
“For me there are a couple of things. You want to come to the game mentally fresh. What I like to do on game days is come in here early and prepare. I start to prepare the night before looking at the other team. I then get together with some individuals, look at our game plan for that night with Kyle and Don. Usually I take a break for two or three hours in the afternoon. I go home, get a break, get a little lunch, little rest, and then come back for the evening. Basically on game day, I look at preparing our team for our team’s perspective. Don and Kyle look at it from a pre-scout perspective, what the other team is doing on power play, penalty kill, 5-on-5, what we have to do. We then together put six keys to the game and present those to the players.”
