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Leafs' Matthew Knies Has a Wild Pre-Game Stick Ritual, Involving a Shower and a Towel
Photo credit: Rick Osentoski | Imagn Images
Leafs forward Matthew Knies was a recent guest on the '32 Thoughts' podcast where he revealed his very unique pre-game stick ritual that involves a shower and towel.
A 29-goal, 58-point sophomore campaign landed the 23-year-old product of Arizona a six-year extension with the Leafs this off-season.
Described as a "unicorn" thanks to his unique combination of skill, physicality and size, the Leafs drafted Knies 57th overall in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.
Knies burst onto the NHL scene with 4 points in 7 post-season games at the end of the 2022-2023 season, and has become a staple next to Auston Matthews on the Leafs' top line.
Matthew Knies Reveals Very Unique Stick Ritual
Ahead of his third full NHL season, Knies joined Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas on their '32 Thoughts' podcast. Near the end of his visit, Bukauskas asked the Arizona native about his very odd ritual that he calls 'rinsing his stick'.
With a smile on his face, Knies revealed the details of his superstition.
"I'd get a new stick every game, and I would take it out of the bag, and it was kind of dusty and had some marks on it, so I'd rinse it off in the shower and towel it up, and it was sparkling clean, and I love to do it now. So I do it with every one of my sticks before I start taping it up."
Hockey players are known to be very superstitious, with players having their own unique rituals, but Knies' would certainly rank near the top of the most unusual ones.
Ridiculous or not, it seems to be working for him, considering he has been a consistent offensive performer from junior to the NCAA and now the NHL.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 18 | 538 ANSWERS Leafs' Matthew Knies Has a Wild Pre-Game Stick Ritual, Involving a Shower and a Towel Do you have any weird superstitions that you follow cheering on the Leafs? | ||
| Yes | 150 | 27.9 % |
| No | 388 | 72.1 % |
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