THE ROUTINE
NHL players tend to be creatures of habit on gameday. This pandemic couldn’t care less.
Dating to his days at Notre Dame, Bryan Rust has more or less followed the same routine before games, whether they were at home or on the road, a 7 p.m. puck-drop or an early start, a random night in February or a big Game 7.
He would arrive about two hours and 45 minutes before the game and begin getting mentally, physically and literally geared up to take the ice.
“I would get there early, tape some sticks, maybe put some new laces in my skates, do some stretching, chat a little bit with the strength and conditioning guys or the [teammates] who were there, maybe play a little soccer,” Rust said. “We’d have a meeting and by then it would already be 5:30 for a 7 o’clock game.”
But this season, with the Penguins and the rest of the NHL trying to play through a pandemic, players and coaches aren’t allowed in the arena until 5:15 p.m.
Initially, the NHL’s COVID protocols did not permit entry until two hours before the game to try to limit the amount of time players and coaches were crowded in close quarters. Two weeks ago, the league lopped off another 15 minutes.
“So when [that window] shortened, it can hinder your preparation quite a bit,”
Rust said. “Now, most of that stuff at the beginning is gone. Basically, you just get to the rink and start to warm up.”
What’s the big deal? If beer-leaguers can stroll into the rink while the Zamboni is still humming, throw on their gear and go get a hat trick, why can’t Rust? Believe it or not, it takes NHLers a bit more work to achieve peak performance.
For Rust, the preparation begins at the morning skate. Those workouts, typically lasting 20 to 30 minutes, help get his blood pumping and keep his skating and puck skills sharp. It also begins the muscle activation process for that night.
After that, Rust eats and heads home or to the team hotel to take his nap. His alarm blares and then he grabs a cup of coffee to sip on his way to the rink. Even a pandemic won’t stop some guys from getting their pregame caffeine fix.
When the arena doors open, it isn’t quite a Black Monday mad dash to the dressing room. But most players, including Tristan Jarry, are eager to get in there. Asked about his inability to settle into a groove early in the season, Jarry mentioned he was still trying to find a pregame routine that worked.
“With a shorter warmup, you have to prepare a lot quicker,” he remarked.
For Rust, that has meant doing more muscle activation exercises in the morning skate window. He guessed some teammates might do those at home, too.
Another way players have made up some of the lost time is by getting their gear squared away and sticks taped just right in the morning. But for some Penguins, such as Sidney Crosby and Jason Zucker, that has been an important part of their pregame ritual, a way to shift their attention toward looming puck battles.
Thankfully, one popular activity is still permitted – sewer ball. Rust is one of a bunch of Penguins who get their muscles warmed up and competitive juices flowing by playing two-touch soccer, also known as sewer ball. They already have to spread out to kick the ball around. So it’s perfect for social distancing.
Team meetings? Not so much. Another recent change is that all meetings must be conducted virtually. Rust said the players still have a set meeting time when they go through pre-taped video from Mike Sullivan and the coaching staff. Screens in the locker room also air on loop coaching points for that night’s game.
“We’re utilizing all the technology that we have at our disposal [and] trying to be as creative as we can to try to keep some semblance of normalcy as far as routines are concerned,” Sullivan said. “We recognize how important that is.”
Rust said his new, condensed routine “still feels a bit weird.” But like many of us in this pandemic, he is staying flexible and keeping everything in perspective.
“I’m just kind of letting things play out here, seeing what things work for me and what things don’t,” he said. “Hopefully we see more normalcy here soon.”