2.

I’ve watched enough warmups over the years that, at any given moment, I can pretty much tell you where to look for a specific player, and they’ll be doing something very specific. 

Whether its the waterbottle cheers at the bench between Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier, or Timo Meier taking a moment to chill, leaning on the boards by the bench, always looking towards the opposing team, or the part of Dougie Hamilton’s routine where he bounces a puck off his stick 19 times (yes, I’ve counted many, many times) before the final bounce is lobbed off his skate. 

Spend enough time around these guys, and you’ll begin to learn all their little intricacies. 

Everyone has their routines. Certain shots they take, places they stand, teammates they interact with. It’s like choreography. I know when to look in certain areas of the ice because I know exactly what’s coming next.

Which is why I’ve picked up on a new one from Evan Rodrigues (well, actually two, but one is more of a responsibility than a routine).

Towards the mid-way mark of warmups, Rodrigues makes his way toward the corner to the right of the net and tries to shoot a puck directly into the closed photographer’s hole.

And we’re talking about a target that’s basically puck-sized.

It’s not exactly an easy shot, but Rodrigues keeps taking his crack at it until he gets it just right.

Just another tiny routine added to the warmup checklist.