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Introducing the Canadiens’ 'Victory Board'
Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

In the playoffs, some teams like to have a meaningful item to help motivate them as they advance through the postseason.

It's no different this year in Montreal.

In the locker room, there's a board where players stick pucks after a win. The goal? To fill the board with 16 pucks… which would mean the Canadiens have accomplished their mission: going all the way and hoisting the Stanley Cup.

On the board in question, you can see the team's logo divided into three colors: blue, white, and red.

In the center of the board, the word “Pack” is written.

Juraj Slafkovsky explained that the victory hat, which is shaped like a wolf, was introduced because the guys in the locker room want to move forward as a group.

The players see themselves as part of a pack of wolves. And seeing that the symbol of the pack is also on the victory board is pretty cool. 

Sometimes, it can help a team stay focused.

The guys in the locker room know what the mission is, after all. And if, by any chance, one of them forgets what the goal is… all he has to do is look up at the board in the room to remind himself that the ultimate goal is to stick 16 pucks on the board. 

And that brings the players even closer together, in a way.

Look at Phillip Danault's reaction when Juraj Slafkovsky (wearing his wolf hat) stuck the first puck on the board after Game 1 in Tampa Bay. It says it all: 

We know how much of a difference a tight-knit team can make in the world of sports.

Often, it starts there…

And that's why I think it's a good thing to see the Canadiens doing things this way right now.


In a nutshell

– Oh yeah?

– Good question.

– Good old Tony.

This article first appeared on Dose.ca and was syndicated with permission.

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