Hockey Superstitions ─ From Playoff Beards to Crossed Sticks and Lucky Socks

One of North America's best-known hockey writers examines the strangest rituals and superstitions within the NHL.

Why did Wayne Gretzky start every pre-game warm-up by shooting wide to the right of the net (a rather funny habit, given that he scored more goals than anyone in the game's history)? Why do many hockey players seem to believe performance is tied directly to facial hair? Why does Geoff Sanderson use a different length stick for every period? And why did Petr Klima break his stick after every goal he scored? Hockey Superstitions, by one of Canada's best-known hockey writers, Andrew Podnieks, explores the fascinating and fun world of hockey superstitions: their origins, their quirks, and the mythology around them. Along the way, it gives us an original look into the minds of the players and coaches behind them.

ANDREW PODNIEKS is the author of more than 55 books on hockey, most notably 2008's bestselling book on the 100th anniversary of the Montreal Canadiens, Honoured Canadiens. He is also the author of Players: The Ultimate A-Z Guide of Everyone Who Has Ever Played in the NHL; The Complete Hockey Dictionary; World of Hockey: Celebrating a Century of the IIHF; A Day in the Life of the Maple Leafs; Canada's Olympic Hockey History, 1920-2010; A Canadian Saturday Night; and Portraits of the Game: Classic Photographs from the Turofsky Collection at the Hockey Hall of Fame. In addition, he has covered three Olympics and nine World Championships for the IIHF and has written extensively with and for the Hockey Hall of Fame and Hockey Canada. He has also worked with Canada's Sports Hall of Fame to develop web and exhibition content.