Former San Jose Sharks goalie Vitek Vanecek is making some headlines for his warmup routine.
First noticed in Game Three of the Stanley Cup Final, Vanecek did his usual stare down of his opponent while standing at the center red line. I Edmonton Oilers goalies Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard joined in and stared right back at Vanecek.
NHL Hall of Fame goalie Henrik Lundqvist said before Game Four that there was a possibility that the Panthers scouted Skinner’s warmup routine and tried to get into his head.
Vanecek told NHLdotcom that he wasn’t trying to play the mental game; however, this part of his routine is new.
“No, I’m just doing my routine,” Vanecek said. “It’s a new one. For this series.”
While he won’t ever admit to it, and there is no way to truly prove it, the former San Jose Sharks goalie might be making a small impact.
Vanecek was traded to the Florida Panthers on deadline day in exchange for Patrick Giles. The former Sharks netminder played seven games for the Panthers, including a 21-save shutout in his team debut.
He has yet to make an appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but was recognized for his dedication after the Panthers’ Game Five win on Saturday. Former Sharks forward Jonah Gadjovich was the one who handed Vanecek the game puck following the game.
Florida leads the best-of-seven series 3-2 and will have the Stanley Cup in the building on Tuesday night.
Read more news and stories about the San Jose Sharks on Sharks Hockey Digest! Bookmark the page and follow Sharks Hockey Digest on Twitter @SharksHKYDigest!