Pregame Ritual

NBCSWSH put jazz music behind Tom Wilson and Carl Hagelin’s pregame instrument ritual and it’s incredible

From cup checks to biting, the Washington Capitals lead the league in weird pregame rituals.

And Friday, before the Capitals took on the Anaheim Ducks, NBC Sports Washington captured Carl Hagelin and Tom Wilson playing their imaginary woodwind instruments and jamming to a song only they could hear. Radko Gudas looked on with both intrigue and befuddlement.

NBC Sports Washington put a jazz song overtop the video and it’s pure magic.

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By Ian Oland 4 years ago

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Reunited Jakub Vrana and Christian Djoos bring back bodyslamming pregame ritual

Since returning to the Capitals as a call-up from the Hershey Bears, Christian Djoos has been a healthy scratch twice. But healthy scratches still take warm-ups with the team before games, and that’s where Djoos and Jakub Vrana, former Hershey teammates, resurrected a pregame ritual in which they take turns gleefully running into each other.

EJ Sherer, a self-described general Caps fan and bodyslam enthusiast, shared photos of the duo’s antics prior to Wednesday night’s match against the Florida ~~Brett Connollys~~ Panthers. Not just any player can make slamming someone violently into the boards look tender and sweet, but Jake and Christian make it work.

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By Brennin Weiswerda 4 years ago

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The Capitals have so many secret handshakes that it’s hard to keep count

Playing imaginary trumpets, biting each other, and screaming. These all sound like things kindergartners would do but they’re actually part of an intricate and bizarre pregame warmup for the Washington Capitals.

Wednesday, friend of the blog, Miranda, traveled up from DC to catch the Caps-Flyers game at Wells Fargo Center. From her perch before warmups, she got a first-hand look at the Capitals getting ready in the tunnel.

It’s a lot.

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By Ian Oland 4 years ago

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TJ Oshie leads pregame rituals while Alex Ovechkin provides sound effects

The Washington Capitals are playing their home opener Saturday night, and, thanks to Caps social media, we got a glimpse into the once-secret pregame rituals that take place in the hidden hallways of Capital One Arena.

TJ Oshie quarterbacks the play, but it’s Alex Ovechkin’s Chewbacca-style soundtrack that make it *chef’s kiss* perfect.

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By Brennin Weiswerda 4 years ago

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That one time the Capitals all almost fell over coming out for warmups

The pre-game routine the Washington Capitals have in the hallway before a game is well-documented and strange. There’s fist-bumps, yelling, invisible saxophones, and cup-checks. All of which serve to amp up the players just before they hit the ice.

That is, as long as they don’t hit the ice face-first.

Saturday evening in Tampa, Braden Holtby almost ate it while leading the team out onto the ice. Holtby was leading the charge when he tripped. That caused Alex Ovechkin to stumble and then there was a chain reaction.

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By Elizabeth Kong 5 years ago

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These strange pregame superstitions may be behind Andre Burakovsky’s three-game goal-scoring streak

Andre Burakovsky scored the game-winning goal in the Capitals’ 3-0 win over the New Jersey Devils Friday night.

According to a tweet by the Capitals, the Swedish forward has a bizarre series of pregame superstitions that may be behind the streak.

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By Ian Oland 5 years ago

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Tom Wilson’s new pregame trumpet ritual with Carl Hagelin is definitely a thing you need to see

Carl Hagelin scored his first goal as a member of the Capitals organization Sunday.

He may have a new pregame routine to thank for ending his 15-game goalless streak.

It involves… imaginary trumpets?

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By Ian Oland 5 years ago

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Marc-Andre Fleury mocks Alex Ovechkin’s pregame warmup routine

Alex Ovechkin has a long list of superstitions and pregame routines. From chest bumps, high fives, cup checks, and screaming at TJ Oshie, Ovi’s becoming rookie year Karl Alzner in front of our eyes.

Wednesday, while on the ice for warmups ahead of Game Two, Ovechkin squirted a bottle of gatorade on the ice around the bench. He does this before both home and away games, and Marc-Andre Fleury took special notice to this last night.

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By Cara Bahniuk 5 years ago

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Hey, move that stool over here because Alex Ovechkin is very superstitious

Over the course of the 2017-18 postseason, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, who really, really, really wants to win a Stanley Cup, has picked up a couple of new superstitions. The first, a hot lap around the rink ahead of morning skate when the Caps are on the road, has been well documented.

The second, which also occurred on the road, involved the specific location of a stool

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By Donya Abramo 5 years ago

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