Andrew Raycroft, 28, plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He won the NHL rookie of the year award in 2004 with the Boston Bruins. Andrew is from Belleville, Ontario. He played three seasons in the OHL.
Here is his entry:
On nights before the game I don’t do anything in particular other than staying off the party scene. I have a good meal and a good sleep.
Game days, I get up and grab some food at the rink (usually eggs and a bagel). During my morning skate I work on seeing the puck and getting a good sweat. At the end of the skate I take about ten point shots from each side and get off and have a trainer stretch me.
Andrew Raycroft - Toronto Maple Leafs Goalie
After the skate I have a meal that usually consist of either steak or chicken and pasta with salad. I go home and relax and get an hour or two of sleep.
I go to the rink 2-2.5 hours before the game. When I get there I tape my sticks, eat some fruit and play soccer with the guys until the team meeting. After the meeting I do some core work and warm up with the strength coach before stretching again. I start getting dressed about 15 minutes before warm-up; my only quirk is tying my right skate and pad first.
For pre-game warm-up, I take most of the shots until the last drill when I take a few and get a last stretch in. During the anthem I look around at different points on the ice and focus my eyes, just to have them ready when the puck drops.
Andrew Raycroft
