NHL: Forgotten Celebrations

The NHL changed the rules in their game to create more scoring in hope that fans would start watching more hockey. I, for one, love a 7-6 game as much as I love a 1-0 game, with the exception of one thing.

"Dirty cellys."

I’m not talking about the basic hands in the air screaming, I’m talking the celebrations where there is some thought put into it. Alex Ovechkin is a prime example of someone in the league who absolutely loves to score and shows it in his celebrations.

I know Don Cherry doesn’t like when players showboat after they sniped a rocket, bar and in, but I do. I would love to see the same enthusiasm put into celebrations for open net goals that go into celebrations for game winning goals.

I would also like to see more controversial celebrations because everyone seems to be doing the fist pump and jumping into the glass.

So here my top-five forgotten about celebrations that we as hockey fans should be seeing every night in the NHL.

5. “Duck Hunting”
This celebration is often seen in road hockey games opposed to on the ice. It begins with the player ripping his glove off of his one hand and throwing it up in the air in front of them. This is followed by the player using their stick as a gun and pretending to shoot down the glove at its highest point.

Not a bad celly, really, but there are many out there more creative and not to mention you leave your hand exposed for the opposing team to break some bones.

Scoring:
Dirtiness scale —5/10
Risk factor—2/10
Chance of getting “Chris Simoned” afterward—7.5/10
Total Score—14.5/30

4. “The Swim”
Many young aspiring NHL stars have attempted to “go for a dip,” if you will, in many practice shootouts.

Not very often do you see something along the lines of “The Swim,” as it is most suitable for an overtime winner, where in most cases you aren’t really prepared to perform the move and the lack of room on the ice attributes to its rarity.

A common question that comes along with “The Swim” is whether it is breaststroke or freestyle. Just don’t even think of attempting the backstroke.

Scoring:
Dirtiness Scale—6/10
Risk Factor—3/10
Chance of getting “Chris Simoned” afterward—7.5/10
Total Score—16.5/30

3. “Paddling the Canoe”
“Paddling The Canoe” has been a classic in minor hockey practices after shootouts for ages. The player skates as fast as they can, usually to the blue line or red line and drops to their ass with their feet out in front and grabs their stick like an ore and begins to paddle as fast as possible.

Players who attempt to go down the red river should be careful not to catch their skate blade on the ice as it could turn the canoe around before you go anywhere, which will take away from a solid celebration.

Scoring:
Dirtiness Scale—7/10
Risk Factor—4/10
Chance of getting “Chris Simoned” afterward—8/10
Total Score—19/30

2. “Riding the Stick”
Also known as “Riding the Horse,” this is maybe the oldest and most simple celly of the five. It is performed when a player gathers speed and straddles their stick and sits down on the shaft, maintaining the blade of the stick on the ice. Easy to perform, yet may be the most insulting celebration of the five.

When “Riding the Stick” it is important to maintain the sturdiness and not intend for the stick to act as a chair or you’re going to be looking at the rafters real soon. Also, the ideal place to “Ride the Stick” would be right in front of the opponent’s bench.

Certain players have been known to take one hand off the stick and use it to motion as if they are waving a lasso. If someone doesn’t knock your head off after you “Ride the Stick” then consider yourself lucky.

Scoring:
Dirtiness Scale—8.5/10
Risk Factor—5/10
Chance of getting “Chris Simoned” afterward—10/10
Total Score—23.5/30

1. “Shooting the Moon”
This celebration is quite complicated and could make you look more like an idiot than a hero. It is very rarely seen due to the chance of screwing it up, but if you possess the skills to pull it off, I guarantee that you will be talked about in dressing rooms forever.

The player places two hands on their stick in front of them and begins to bend one knee. They then begin to almost sit on the ice with their opposite leg straight out in front of them.

“Shooting the Moon” could be taken to the next level if you threw in a fist pump.

Scoring:
Dirtiness Scale—8.5/10
Risk Factor—10/10
Chance of getting “Chris Simoned” afterward—6/10
Total Score—24.5/30

The argument of what the best celebration is has been going on among hockey fans forever. In the past you had the Jaromir Jagr kiss of the two fingers pointing to the crowd and Theo Fleury’s knee spin.

More recently, you’ve seen the Brad Marchants in the world grabbing the symbol on the front of the jersey and the aforementioned Alex Ovechkins with the one knee fist pumps and their own version of the Lambo Leap into the glass.

But I am still searching for that one special player to pull out a “Shooting the Moon” into a “Duck Hunt” on to “The Canoe” which I would call, “Shooting the Duck on the Moon in a Canoe”.

Now THAT would make me celebrate.

Straight from The On Deck Circle.