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We all know the NHL is a business - but Junior hockey is one too.
Junior hockey is big business.
We saw that last week in Shawinigan, which played host to the Memorial Cup tournament. Every hotel and auberge in the city was fully booked. The same held true for accommodations in neighbouring Trois-Rivières.
Folks were lined up three deep to order a Shawinigan Handshake at Le Trou du Diable, and the two chip wagons on 5e Avenue were doing a roaring business as the local bars closed.
While everyone focuses on Martin Brodeur - Jonathan Quick keeps his head down and concentrates on the on-ice stuff.
The other half of the goaltending tandem during Bill Ranford’s best years with the Edmonton Oilers was not quite monosyllabic, but "yup" and "nope" were Grant Fuhr’s favourite answers.
Now, Ranford coaches Jonathan Quick.
"Yeah, our conversations are pretty much the same," smiled the Los Angeles Kings’ goaltending mentor, the 1990 Conn Smythe Trophy winner who suddenly became a sought-after interview subject Tuesday, once reporters gave up trying to squeeze a helpful quote out of the Kings’ 26-year-old goalie.
Darryl Sutter talks about his superstitions.
Bernie Nicholls, a long-time associate of Sutter, who played for him with the Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks, laughs uproariously as he retells the story about Commuter Darryl.
"It’s funny," Nicholls said, "but you get that way – and I don’t know who wouldn’t. People, when they do something and it’s successful, you keep doing it."
In fairness, superstitions are rarely rooted in cold, hard logic and maybe a better description is Sutter is a slave to routine and repetition.