Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby was under a different kind of spotlight Tuesday night in Canada.
At the Dubh Linn Gate Irish Pub in Whistler, all eyes were on Holtby when he took the stage to perform Uncle Lucius' "Keep the Wolves Away."
Braden Holtby played a set in Whistler at The Dubh Linn Gate last night while Ovechkin & his teammates cheered him on... #NHL #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/z7ZLZ2nt5o
— Bob Crook (@CrookBob) October 25, 2018Amongst the crowd were several of Holtby's teammate, including a giddy Alex Ovechkin.
Holtby, who took guitar lessons during his junior hockey days, added playing guitar to his pre-game ritual in recent years.
“Especially over a long season like this, I’m always searching for ways to create that similarity every game day, of the mindset I’m trying to get into,” Holtby told Sports Illustrated in 2016. “A lot it is the mental prep, the breathing, the imagery, but throughout the day you don’t want to be angry or sleepy or all those different feelings you have that could change your view on how you’re going to perform that night. Music just always takes you back to the same place. Any type of music, you listen to it, it changes your mood, your outlook on things. That’s my reason for doing it, I guess.”
Earlier that day, the Capitals had the quintessential hockey team-building exercise: axe throwing.
Just a friendly little competition with @nicke19 @warroadbrand
A post shared by #65 Washington Capitals.SWEDEN (@andreburakovsky) on Oct 23, 2018 at 2:45pm PDT
Before throwing an axe, Ovechkin turned to the camera and said, “All right, babes. This for you.”
-- @Ovi8You've seen the boys throw darts, but what about the axe!?(--: https://t.co/V9EN9ZScg1) pic.twitter.com/o628w1LHBc
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) October 23, 2018After a 5-2 win over the Canucks on Monday, it is safe to say the Caps are enjoying their tour of Western Canada.
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