Hockey fans and their rituals
Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services
Iqaluit (May 21/01) - When it comes to the NHL playoffs, the tension is thick both on and off the ice.
And, while hockey is absolutely a game of skill, players and fans agree that a certain amount of magic, luck and good fortune go a long way.
That said, many of us have certain rituals or habits -- call them superstitions if you will -- that help our team come home victorious.
Take New Jersey Devils fan Joachim Ayaruak. As his team is lacing up their skates and refusing to shave during the playoffs, the Rankin Inlet resident has to begin watching the game at a certain volume.
"My team is playing tonight. I'll have the volume at the right number," said Ayaruak. That the magic level was 22 on the volume dial.
"If they start losing, the volume goes down. If they start winning, the volume goes up," he said.
It doesn't stop there.
If the Devils start getting stomped, Ayaruak won't have anything to eat or drink during the game. But, if they make good, Ayaruak will drink a pot of coffee. He'll also move from chair to chair depending upon the action. And finally, if the Americans really begin to take a dive, Ayaruak will stand outside, smoke cigarettes and work on his snow machine.
The purpose? To give the Devils the boost they need to bring home the Stanley Cup.
Iqaluit hockey fan Allison Brewer has her own set of rules to follow -- rules that actually prevent her from watching the game.
"I've found that if I watch a game with any interest, my team always loses," said Brewer, who first learned of her ability to control game scores during the last round of Olympic hockey. Brewer had risen at 5 a.m. to watch the Canadian women's team win the gold medal, but much to her surprise, her team lost the top spot. Brewer still hasn't forgiven herself for watching the game.
"It was unbelievable. The Canadian team lost the series because of me. That's when I realized there was a pattern to the curse," said Brewer.
"It weighed on me heavily for days."
In Cambridge Bay, Keith Morrison has powers similar to those belonging to Brewer.
"I don't like watching close games near the end," said Morrison.
"I have to turn the channel and find out at the end what happened."
