What’s weirder than seeing the Capitals skating around in green jerseys? Hearing what TJ Oshie actually sounds like during warmups where he is an Energizer Bunny full of superstitions, celebrations, and howdys to his coworkers.
The Capitals posted a mic’d up video of Oshie from warmups of Friday’s game against the New York Rangers: the final game of Tom Wilson’s suspension.
By the end, you’re left shaking your head and somehow adoring the star forward even more.
Video
Here is a summary of the most, uh, important, I guess, moments.
- Oshie stretches his left leg at the Capitals bench. “OHHHhhh, that’s a little tight, boys! That’s a little tight.”
- Oshie gives a how-do-you-do? to teammate Daniel Sprong and checks him into the boards.
- Like he’s been possessed by a demon, Oshie stares out at his teammates from behind the net.
- “HEREEEE WE GOOOOOOO!” Oshie then smacks all the right-handed shooting skaters in the butt. “RIGHT. SIDE. UHNNNNN”
- Later, while standing behind Garnet Hathaway, Oshie puts the blade of his stick on Garnet Hathway’s booty. “How does that taste?” Hathaway smiles.
- “OHHHH. COME ON, TIMOTHY!”
- Oshie smacks Ilya Samsonov in the goalie’s bagoaliedonk before imagining Ghost Tom is giving him butt taps.
- Osh makes the noise “oooooehehhhghghhhhhhh” as he tries to box Nicklas Backstrom out of the crease
- Oshie asks for a high five from “Tommy” but re-remembers he’s not there.
- Finally, Oshie does his long jump into the hallways where he slams into the wall and kisses the Capitals’ Stanley Cup sign. He trills his lips.
That’s… a lot. And TJ knows it.
I have problems
— TJ Oshie (@TJOshie77) March 24, 2021
Big time https://t.co/577K6anjqk
— Michael Latta (@Latta17) March 24, 2021
This doesn’t even include Oshie’s pregame yelling routine with Alex Ovechkin in the tunnel, throwing pucks to imaginary fans, and his puck-juggling routine.
In an interview with Roger Bennett last year, Oshie explained that the superstitions during warmups “really becomes a bond. Some people say that you need a little hatred on a team or sometimes you’ve got to play with guys that you dislike, I’m not that way. I think you need to care about the person that’s next to you, and that’s a way to build that bond and that care.”
Headline photo: Screenshot courtesy of @Capitals/Screenshot from @TJOshie77 Twitter
