'Leave me alone' says Blackhawks top goalie prospect Drew Commesso as he unveils pre-game routine

PUBLICATION

Joshua Deeds
September 16, 2024 (5:06 PM)

SHARE THIS STORY

The Chicago Blackhawks have a future #1 goalie in prospect Drew Commesso, but he does have a unique way of being successful.

One wouldn't think hockey players would seek outside of the norms of the sports to find a way to be their best selves. Commesso however has a routine, whenever he first arrives in the locker room, teammates know to leave him alone.

«Everyone knows to leave me alone,» Commesso said.

«A lot of times, you focus on getting yourself physically ready - you want to sleep well, eat well,» he said. «With goaltending and so much of it being mental, I thought it was really important to make sure my brain is at the top every single night.»

But Commesso decided to find success through past practices of Braden Holtby, in 2015 on a video with the Washington Capitals.

The Boston University alumni has found pre-game meditation to add to his ritual, in an innovative approach to success.

Commesso, like Holtby, will find a quiet room, he slides on some noise-canceling earbuds or headphones and puts a towel over his eyes to begin his pre-game meditation.

«I'll do a lot of gratitude meditation,» he said. «[I prefer] things that get my mind off the game, [that remind me] to just be grateful for the moment I'm in - grateful for everything I have and grateful for the ability to go play hockey. We're playing this for our jobs, and it's an amazing gift.»

He implemented the pre-game meditation and improved his goaltending in 16 games, going from a .893 to a .915 save percentage in 22 games afterward.

Commesso has pulled from a plethora of NHL goalies, including Andrei Vasilevskiy's yoga and stretching techniques which he believes kept him limber and fresh, when his teammates were beat up as injuries piled up.

Commesso's biggest role model is the Bruin's goalie Jeremy Swayman, who he trained with this summer and continued to train together this summer. He would train with him for 6:45 AM skates and would pick his brains for more wisdom during lunch.

«One thing he told me is a lot of the mental practice he does away from the rink is [about] small habits and decisions,» Commesso said. «He'll make the hard decision. Maybe if he walks by some laundry, and it's on the floor, he'll go pick it up. It might not matter in the moment, but in the long run, doing those little habits will help not only your life, but your game.»

Commesso also changed up his skates this summer too, from one-piece to two-piece skates made by Bauer that are slightly lighter and taller.

«I'm a guy that thinks everything matters, and having an extra inch or two of shoulder height does matter,» he said.

Commesso stopped 31 of 35 shots in the Blackhawks OT loss against the Blues in Tom Kurvers Prospect Showcase. He'll be the focal point of development for the Blackhawks, and will begin next season in Rockford.