The Wraparound
This Week in Junior Hockey: Smells, Shenanigans & Missing Goalies
“All week I share the serious side of the game - the pressure, the choices, the ups and downs. But every Friday, I like to do a little wraparound: a quick spin behind the net to share the lighter, funnier stories from junior hockey life. Because sometimes the best memories are the ones that made us laugh the hardest.”
This Week in Junior Hockey: Smells, Shenanigans & Missing Goalies
If you’ve ever spent time around junior hockey, you know it’s not all big hits and highlight reels. Sometimes it’s bus chaos, bad haircuts, and a locker room that smells like something died in a goalie bag (because sometimes… something did).
Here’s your weekly laugh from the wild world of junior hockey.
Rookie Haircuts Gone Horribly Right
It’s rookie initiation season again — that magical time when 17-year-olds get their heads butchered in the name of “team bonding.”
This week, one team decided to give their rookies reverse mohawks — full bald stripe down the middle. The best part? Team picture day was the next morning. The photo looks like a before-and-after ad for regret.
The Bus Left Without the Goalie (Again)
You’d think by now every team would have a “count the players before leaving” system. Nope.
Some poor goalie hopped off the bus for a bathroom break, and 45 minutes later the boys realized their netminder was still at the gas station. Rumor is he hitched a ride with a trucker who asked if he “played for real or just in video games.”
The Curse of the Clean Socks
One guy’s “lucky socks” had seen 10 straight wins — and 0 laundry cycles. The trainer finally couldn’t take the smell and tossed them. They lost the next game. The entire bench blamed the clean socks. I’m not saying it’s superstition… but those socks had power.
The Mystery Fish Incident
Classic vet prank: frozen fish in a rookie’s gear bag on a weekend road trip. By Sunday, the smell could legally be classified as a biohazard.
He got his revenge by loading baby powder into everyone’s skates. The dressing room looked like a snow globe.
The National Anthem Mix-Up
One rink’s DJ hit play on “Let It Go” from Frozen instead of the anthem. The teams stood at the blue line while one guy mock-sang into his stick like Elsa on a breakaway. The refs were dying. The parents were confused. 10/10 would watch again.
Classic Locker Room Pranks That Never Die
Some things never change:
Clear tape on a teammate’s skate blades before warmup (instant Bambi).
Rocks hidden inside a hollowed-out stick.
Wallpapering a phone with a teammate’s face.
The creativity in these rooms could cure boredom — or get someone fired, depending on the prank.
(Thanks to AllBlackHockeySticks.com and The Guardian for reminding us chaos is universal.)
This has to be my most favorite article. I would love to see the reverse Mohawk!!!! Thank you for add laughs to the end of the week. Love this!