{"id":319419,"date":"2026-04-16T07:24:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T01:54:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/?p=319419"},"modified":"2026-04-16T07:24:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T01:54:11","slug":"you-dont-want-any-negativity-why-most-nhl-goalies-dont-speak-on-game-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/2026\/04\/16\/you-dont-want-any-negativity-why-most-nhl-goalies-dont-speak-on-game-day\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018You don\u2019t want any negativity\u2019: Why most NHL goalies don\u2019t speak on game day"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p>Logan Thompson stepped off the ice and headed up the tunnel before turning left.<\/p>\n<p>The Washington Capitals goaltender made a fast right into the visitors\u2019 locker room at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto before sitting down at his stall ahead of that night\u2019s game.<\/p>\n<p>When a few reporters pivoted in his direction \u2014 recording devices, microphones and cameras in hand \u2014 Thompson was pleased to reply a few questions after peeling off a couple of pieces of apparatus.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s removed from the norm.<\/p>\n<p>While there\u2019s no official NHL policy, the overwhelming majority of teams don\u2019t make their netminders available to media within the hours before games.<\/p>\n<p>The puck-stoppers will normally trudge off the ice, backs to any press interlopers of their sphere \u2014 a member of a club\u2019s communications staff might linger nearby to make sure the cone of silence is maintained \u2014 before shuffling into one other a part of the locker room away from prying eyes.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-ad c-ad--bigbox l-article__ad c-ad--tallSticky\">\n<p>Story continues below commercial<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cYou don\u2019t want any negativity around you,\u201d Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck explained. \u201cYou don\u2019t need that creeping into your game. You don\u2019t wish to overthink things. You simply wish to go and play. I feel like talking an excessive amount of builds random stress levels, random expectations for a game that just aren\u2019t essential.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"c-blockquote l-article__blockquote\">\n<div class=\"c-infoBox\">\n<div class=\"c-infoBox__inner\">\n<p class=\"c-blockquote__content l-article__blockquoteContent\">\u201cStaying out of that keeps me free, keeps my mind relaxed.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Elvis Merzlikins of the Columbus Blue Jackets said goalies are \u201cliving in their very own world\u201d before suiting up.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou wish to just be left alone,\u201d said the netminder. \u201cYou don\u2019t even communicate a lot with teammates. We are only focusing, pondering what it&#8217;s essential to do. Prepare your gear, prepare all things for the sport, after which after the sport, you&#8217;ll be able to really talk.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"l-article__part\" data-shortcode=\"related_videos\">\n<div class=\"l-inlineStories l-inlineStories--video\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"l-inlineStories__title\">Related Videos<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<section id=\"miniplayer-carousel\" class=\"l-videoCarousel l-videoCarousel--embed c-carousel\" data-video-carousel-play-inline=\"true\" data-video-carousel-init=\"false\" aria-label=\"Video carousel contains 10 videos.\">\n<div class=\"l-videoCarousel__inner\">\n<div class=\"l-videoCarousel__featured\">\n<div class=\"c-video c-videoPlay \" data-iframe-receiver=\"\" data-autoplay=\"\" data-displayinline-featured=\"true\" data-displayinline-type=\"video\" data-displayinline-player-id=\"miniplayer\" data-displayinline-video-id=\"11770554\" data-displayinline-ratio=\"16:9\" data-displayinline=\"https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/video\/embed\/playlist\/11770554,11645858,11576401,11470879,11468930,11433353,11395957,11259972,11252644,11252127\/?poster=https%3A%2F%2Fi1.wp.com%2Fmedia.globalnews.ca%2Fvideostatic%2Fnews%2Fs2bf5hvvrk-ej6c6kn9pt%2FFAN-PARK-LATEST.jpg%3Fw%3D1200%26quality%3D70%26strip%3Dall#autoplay&#038;stickyiframe=miniplayer\" data-displayinline-playlist=\"11770554,11645858,11576401,11470879,11468930,11433353,11395957,11259972,11252644,11252127\" data-displayinline-sticky=\"true\" data-permutive-data='{\"content\":{\"name\":\"DIALOG and HNTB selected to design ICE District event park in downtown Edmonton\",\"type\":\"video\",\"sections\":[\"videos\",\"edmonton\",\"entertainment\",\"sports\"],\"keywords\":[\"edmonton-oilers\",\"edmonton-sports\",\"edmonton-videos\",\"ice-district\",\"oeg\",\"oilers-entertainment-group\",\"short-clip\",\"global-news-hour-at-6-edmonton\"],\"iab\":{\"categories\":[\"Sports\/Team Sports\/Hockey\",\"News\",\"Sports\",\"News\/Sports News\",\"Sports\/Team Sports\"],\"tags\":[]}}}'>\n<div class=\"c-video__inner \">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"c-video__placeholder\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-video__image\" alt=\"Click to play video: 'DIALOG and HNTB selected to design ICE District event park in downtown Edmonton'\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/media.globalnews.ca\/videostatic\/news\/s2bf5hvvrk-ej6c6kn9pt\/FAN-PARK-LATEST.jpg?w=1040&#038;quality=70&#038;strip=all\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"\" sizes=\"auto, \" data-sizes=\"(min-width: 1040px) 1040px,(min-width: 720px) 720px,450px\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"c-video__overlay\"><\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<time class=\"c-video__duration\">1:09<\/time><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"c-video__title\">DIALOG and HNTB chosen to design ICE District event park in downtown Edmonton<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"l-videoCarousel__glide glide \">\n<div class=\"glide__arrows c-carousel__buttons l-videoCarousel__buttons\" data-glide-el=\"controls\">\n\t<button class=\"glide__arrow glide__arrow--left c-carousel__button c-carousel__prev l-videoCarousel__button l-videoCarousel__prev c-longform-gallery__prev\" data-glide-dir=\"<\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t<span class=\"sr-only\">Previous Video<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/button><br \/>\n\t<button class=\"glide__arrow glide__arrow--right c-carousel__button c-carousel__next l-videoCarousel__button l-videoCarousel__next c-longform-gallery__next\" data-glide-dir=\">&#8220;><\/p>\n<p>\t\t<span class=\"sr-only\">Next Video<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/button><br \/>\n\t\t<button class=\"c-carousel__goto\" data-glide-dir=\"=0\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\"><\/button>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t<!-- video stream item --><\/p>\n<\/section><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Teams in Canadian markets and bigger U.S. centres are inclined to keep goalies off limits \u2014 the Edmonton Oilers are an outlier.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-ad c-ad--bigbox l-article__ad c-ad--tallSticky\">\n<p>Story continues below commercial<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Their netminders are sometimes available within the morning, but not at all times. Stuart Skinner, who was traded earlier this season, got here up through the organization and was comfortable in those situations, including the pressure-packed Stanley Cup final.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-inlineSignup\" data-newsletter-inline=\"\">\n<div class=\"c-inlineSignup__image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"170\" height=\"225\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/wp-content\/themes\/shaw-globalnews\/images\/skyline\/national.jpg\" alt=\"Get breaking Canada news delivered to your inbox as it happens so you won't miss a trending story.\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-inlineSignup__content\">\n<h2 class=\"c-inlineSignup__title\">Get breaking National news<\/h2>\n<p>Get breaking Canada news delivered to your inbox because it happens so you will not miss a trending story.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Thompson, meanwhile, followed the group and didn\u2019t talk before games when he first entered the league.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was once pretty superstitious,\u201d he said. \u201cBut now nothing really matters until (puck drop). This isn\u2019t going to get in my head, whether I seek advice from the media or not.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger, with only a handful of reporters following his team every day, also has no issue chatting within the morning.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s normally like 10 minutes,\u201d he said. \u201cDoesn\u2019t really bug me much.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Oettinger, nonetheless, added that if he faced what good friend and Maple Leafs counterpart Joseph Woll does in Toronto, that tune might change.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t blame him for taking a break,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Goaltenders largely not talking on game days has been around for some time, but it surely wasn\u2019t at all times the case.<\/p>\n<p>Martin Brodeur, a three-time Stanley Cup champion and the NHL\u2019s all-time wins leader, used to famously hold court at his locker after morning skates.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-ad c-ad--bigbox l-article__ad c-ad--tallSticky\">\n<p>Story continues below commercial<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>But Patrick Roy, who had the same resume, preferred to maintain quiet.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI liked to be focused on my games,\u201d he said. \u201cI didn\u2019t feel like I needed to speak within the morning. I\u2019d moderately talk after games. It\u2019s just concerning the focus and ensuring you\u2019re ready to your game. That\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-tabs\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t<button role=\"tab\" class=\"c-tabs__tab c-tabs__tab--active\" type=\"button\">More on Sports<\/button><br \/>\n\t\t\t<button role=\"tab\" class=\"c-tabs__tab\" type=\"button\">More videos<\/button>\n\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros was unaware that not speaking after a morning skate was an option when he got to the league.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t really know any higher,\u201d he said. \u201cI used to be just effective with it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Maple Leafs defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson doesn\u2019t have a problem with players and coaches having to reply questions within the morning while goalies stay silent.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDifferent position, they prepare just a little bit different,\u201d he said. \u201cIt comes right down to being one of the best version of yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thompson, meanwhile, was playfully asked at the tip of his scrum in Toronto last week if he would share his views on pre-game banter with other goaltenders.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ll allow them to know,\u201d he said with a smile. \u201cBut everyone\u2019s different, right? I feel like I was once really uptight, and I feel like I\u2019m having more fun.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"c-blockquote l-article__blockquote\">\n<div class=\"c-infoBox\">\n<div class=\"c-infoBox__inner\">\n<p class=\"c-blockquote__content l-article__blockquoteContent\">\u201cYou play higher whenever you\u2019re more relaxed.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"c-ad c-ad--bigbox l-article__ad c-ad--tallSticky\">\n<p>Story continues below commercial<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>EXTRA WORK<\/p>\n<p>The Los Angeles Kings lost 4-3 in extra time to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday \u2014 an NHL-record thirty third time the club has played beyond 60 minutes this season \u2014 with one date left on the schedule Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>Playoff-bound L.A. has won just 22 of 81 contests in regulation, and has dropped 20 games which have gone to OT or a shootout.<\/p>\n<p>Thompson\u2019s Capitals, meanwhile, finished with 37 regulation victories and can miss the post-season.<\/p>\n<p>BOWNESS ERUPTS<\/p>\n<p>Blue Jackets interim head coach Rick Bowness exploded following Tuesday\u2019s 2-1 loss to the Capitals, a disappointing result that got here after the team had been eliminated from playoff contention and capped a 2-8-1 stretch to shut out the schedule.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAll you gotta do is take a look at the stats \u2026 three hits, 23 giveaways,\u201d said the emotional bench boss. \u201cI don\u2019t know if I\u2019m back (next season), but when I\u2019m back, I\u2019m changing this culture. These guys, they don\u2019t care.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"c-blockquote l-article__blockquote\">\n<div class=\"c-infoBox\">\n<div class=\"c-infoBox__inner\">\n<p class=\"c-blockquote__content l-article__blockquoteContent\">\u201cLosing shouldn&#8217;t be vital enough to them. It doesn\u2019t hassle them.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\n\t\t&#038;copy 2026 The Canadian Press\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Logan Thompson stepped off the ice and headed up the tunnel before turning left. The Washington Capitals goaltender made a fast right into the visitors\u2019 locker room at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto before sitting down at his stall ahead of that night\u2019s game. When a few reporters pivoted in his direction \u2014 recording devices, microphones [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":319420,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[338],"tags":[1999,604,585,50655,22974,649,9288],"class_list":["post-319419","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","tag-day","tag-dont","tag-game","tag-goalies","tag-negativity","tag-nhl","tag-speak"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/319419","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=319419"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/319419\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":319422,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/319419\/revisions\/319422"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/319420"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=319419"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=319419"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=319419"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}