Post by dogcatcher on Nov 30, 2007 7:11:22 GMT -4
SUPERSTITION A MUTE POINT
Hockey: Sea Dogs goaltender remains silent on days he's between pipes
Andrew Mcgilligan
Telegraph-Journal
Published Friday November 30th, 2007
Appeared on page B12
SAINT JOHN - If you see Saint John Sea Dogs goaltender Robert Mayer on game day and say hello, there's a 50/50 chance you'll hear one back.
If all the Swiss goalie gives you is a head nod and a smile then you'll know he's between the pipes that day.
Mayer isn't being rude and since he speaks several languages it's not a lost in translation problem. The reason for his quiet demeanour when he's about to play a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League game is he doesn't like to speak on the days he starts.
"It's something I've been doing since midget hockey in Switzerland," he said of his pre-game habit.
Call it rituals, habits or superstition, but athletes are loaded with them. Saint John forward Ryan Sparling said in the superstition department, goaltenders lead the way.
"I'd say goalies are the most (superstitious) because they're all out to lunch and in their own little worlds," he said. "That's normal for (goalies) and I don't expect anything different from them."
Sea Dogs backstop Travis Fullerton agrees goalies have their share of superstitions, but every player develops habits no matter what they say.
"We play so many games, we're on the ice everyday. When you're out there so much it just happens," the Riverview product said.
Of the goaltending fraternity, Fullerton believes his rituals are subtler than most.
"Unless someone was watching me really closely they wouldn't pick up on them," he said. "It's not real obvious stuff, just little things."
For instance, the way he touches the posts before leaving the net or how Francois Gauthier is the one who takes the first shots on both goalies during warm-ups. The Sea Dogs forward spends the opening minutes of the pre-game skate firing pucks at the blocker, trapper and pads of the netminders.
"It started last year with Alex (Grant) doing it and this year I think Gauthier wanted to do it," he said. "It's something to get your eye focused on the puck."
As for the locker room, Fullerton said he does virtually everything the same before his starts.
"It's just about finding a groove and getting comfortable," he said. "The moment I have a bad game, then I switch everything up."
Some other Sea Dogs incorporate head equipment manager David Kelly into their routines. Gauthier will only use Kelly's scissors to cut the tape on his stick while Brett Gallant gets a piece of gum from him before every game.
Sparling said he doesn't have any habits. He doesn't kick the soccer ball around in the hallway with teammates or begin putting his gear on at a certain time.
"I just like to take it easy, not do too much to tire myself out before the game," he said. "My first two seasons I used to really have a routine down pat, but it really didn't work out the last two seasons, so this year I'm just letting it go."
Ironically, he's made a superstition of doing nothing specific.
Hockey: Sea Dogs goaltender remains silent on days he's between pipes
Andrew Mcgilligan
Telegraph-Journal
Published Friday November 30th, 2007
Appeared on page B12
SAINT JOHN - If you see Saint John Sea Dogs goaltender Robert Mayer on game day and say hello, there's a 50/50 chance you'll hear one back.
If all the Swiss goalie gives you is a head nod and a smile then you'll know he's between the pipes that day.
Mayer isn't being rude and since he speaks several languages it's not a lost in translation problem. The reason for his quiet demeanour when he's about to play a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League game is he doesn't like to speak on the days he starts.
"It's something I've been doing since midget hockey in Switzerland," he said of his pre-game habit.
Call it rituals, habits or superstition, but athletes are loaded with them. Saint John forward Ryan Sparling said in the superstition department, goaltenders lead the way.
"I'd say goalies are the most (superstitious) because they're all out to lunch and in their own little worlds," he said. "That's normal for (goalies) and I don't expect anything different from them."
Sea Dogs backstop Travis Fullerton agrees goalies have their share of superstitions, but every player develops habits no matter what they say.
"We play so many games, we're on the ice everyday. When you're out there so much it just happens," the Riverview product said.
Of the goaltending fraternity, Fullerton believes his rituals are subtler than most.
"Unless someone was watching me really closely they wouldn't pick up on them," he said. "It's not real obvious stuff, just little things."
For instance, the way he touches the posts before leaving the net or how Francois Gauthier is the one who takes the first shots on both goalies during warm-ups. The Sea Dogs forward spends the opening minutes of the pre-game skate firing pucks at the blocker, trapper and pads of the netminders.
"It started last year with Alex (Grant) doing it and this year I think Gauthier wanted to do it," he said. "It's something to get your eye focused on the puck."
As for the locker room, Fullerton said he does virtually everything the same before his starts.
"It's just about finding a groove and getting comfortable," he said. "The moment I have a bad game, then I switch everything up."
Some other Sea Dogs incorporate head equipment manager David Kelly into their routines. Gauthier will only use Kelly's scissors to cut the tape on his stick while Brett Gallant gets a piece of gum from him before every game.
Sparling said he doesn't have any habits. He doesn't kick the soccer ball around in the hallway with teammates or begin putting his gear on at a certain time.
"I just like to take it easy, not do too much to tire myself out before the game," he said. "My first two seasons I used to really have a routine down pat, but it really didn't work out the last two seasons, so this year I'm just letting it go."
Ironically, he's made a superstition of doing nothing specific.
