Hockey Players Are Human Too, But How?

It is the most important time of the NHL season for every team, but for the San Jose Sharks, many players haven’t been through anything like this.

The Stanley Cup Playoffs are just under two weeks away from beginning, and the Sharks want in. Every team is playing with desperation, passion, and fearless hockey. The media is reporting playoff chances, criticizing every lineup decision and play a player makes, and then these players are forced to answer for their results, good or bad.

That can be a lot to handle for a person, and while the San Jose Sharks players are true pros and can handle it, they still need to disconnect. That goes for coaches, too. Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky said he’s been working on disconnecting since he got into coaching. One of the best ways he does that is by playing catch with his son and enjoying baseball.

There hasn’t been any discourse about how close the San Jose Sharks locker room is this season. The infusion of veterans like Adam Gaudette, Ryan Reaves, and Alex Nedeljkovic has started to build a culture of joy and determination to be the best players and people.

Sharks Hockey Digest spoke with multiple players about a variety of topics related to how they stay focused and think about the Sharks.

Here are the questions being asked of players:
1. How often do you look at the standings, and if you do, how familiar are you with the tiebreakers?
2. Do you find yourself watching more hockey games of teams you’re in a playoff race with?
3. How do you get away from hockey and just enjoy being a human?
3a. Explain more specifics of what you do to disconnect.

Michael Misa

San Jose Sharks center Michael Misa indirectly helped develop this story idea. During a 1-on-1 interview with Misa on Saturday about playing against John Tavares, I asked him about the standings. Little did we know that going off on a tangent would bring a great idea.

This morning, SHD informed Misa that the conversation that was had in that interview helped create this story. Like a true journalist, Misa deserves some credit for helping get the wheels in motion.

Here are Misa’s answers:

1. “Honestly, the last couple of weeks, I’ve just been more on our team. Throughout the year, I’ve been looking at the standings here and there, but now it’s just you’ve got to worry about your own business.”

2. “I think with the spot we’re in, if we worry about us and keep stocking these wins, I think we’ll be all right.”

3. “Honestly, like, the biggest social media I probably use is YouTube. I’m more just, like, a YouTube guy. Just watch videos on there and try to stay off Instagram, TikTok, and whatnot.”

3a. “You know the show, Survivor? I love watching top Survivor moments and, like, best, like tribal council moments and stuff like that. It’s really entertaining.”

Survivor is a long-running challenge show that started seven years before the Sharks centerman was even born. Now with Survivor season 50 coming out this year, the San Jose Sharks forward says he’s still catching up.

“Winners at war. I watched that whole one, like the people that I won Survivor previously, all came together,” Misa said.

Turns out Misa isn’t the only big Survivor fan on the Sharks. Zack Ostapchuk is a big fan of the show as well.

Zack Ostapchuk

1. “We just take it one game at a time, but obviously we know what’s going on with the standings. Who’s playing who, and who we’re cheering for in certain games to help us out. We just try to focus on our games. This time of the year, it’s kind of hard not to look around the league.”

“I haven’t really looked into the tiebreakers yet. Obviously, we want to just get enough points so we don’t have to be in that situation. I think it’s like regulation wins, that’s the only one I know. I don’t even think we’re really looking at that; we just want more points than the other team.”

2. “I feel like at the start of the year, I was watching more hockey. Right now, our schedule is so packed. I don’t know movies and stuff, always checking scores, and maybe tune in for a period or two.”

3. “No Twitter. I have Instagram pretty much just for the reels. Honestly, I’ve never been a huge social media guy. I deleted Twitter maybe two years ago. It helps a lot [because] I was scrolling all the time just seeing what people are saying. I don’t think it’s always great, so I try and stay off of it.”

3a. “Video games here and there. This year, I haven’t played as much, but yeah, definitely a huge movie and show guy. Love my reality TV. Watching Survivor, and then my girlfriend and I are watching The Traitors. We have a couple of shows on the go all the time. Every night we’ve got something to watch.”

What about when you do play video games?

“I play a lot of Call of Duty Warzone. NHL. I like playing the EASHL with all my buddies from back home. We have a good team going.”

EASHL is a mode in the NHL video game that lets players create and customize a player, then play against other teams online. Ostapchuk can play anywhere, but has found himself as his team’s main goalie. Although he didn’t need to share his custom name, the Sharks forward was kind enough to share his goalie player name, “Zack Ostap-puck.”

Collin Graf

Collin Graf revealed to SHD that Ostapchuk has been trying to put together group movie outings. The Sharks forward wants to get some of his teammates to see The Super Mario Galaxy Movie in the near future.

1. “[I] definitely check out the standings. Obviously, the points, and then guys have mentioned regulation wins. That’s all I know.

2. “I watch a lot of hockey, but I wouldn’t say I specifically watch the games that matter more to us.”

3. “My family’s here right now, so that’s helping. Nice to see them visit on this last little homestand.”

“I don’t actively go out looking for it. I think everyone’s probably seen that wheel once or twice, just because it’s become so popular during this time of the.

The wheel Graf is referencing is the playoff percentage chances from MoneyPuck.com.

“I just try to stick to my normal routine. Watch a couple of movies. Trying to look up some good ones, watching whatever new movie comes out. That’s usually what I like to do.”

3a. “I’ve got some comfort movies for sure. I would say The Dark Knight is a classic. The last one I watched was Sinners. William Eklund and I] have been talking movies. I know a bunch of guys have talked about going to the Mario movie. Chucky is trying to get the band together to go, so we’ll probably be going to that one soon. There’s some good movie talk. Sometimes shows are too long, so I go with the movies because they’re a little quicker.”

Sam Dickinson

Sharks defenseman Sam Dickinson has told reporters on multiple occasions that he enjoys watching other NHL games whenever possible. He would like to pick up on things that will help him become a better player. But has it changed now that the playoff push is in full force?

1. “When I watch hockey, for the most part, I just watch because I enjoy it.”

“I’d like to say a lot, but I don’t really know. I’d like to just get in the easy way and just have more points than everybody else. But, obviously, there’s a scenario for all that, so I guess that’s for other people to work out.”

2. “Probably, I favor Western Conference games a little more right now, but I think with the stage that we’re at right now, I think it’s most important to worry about ourselves. Worry about the points that are available for us. In the back of your head, you’re hoping things go well in other games, but at the same time, it’s pretty big right now to just stay in our dressing room and worry about our games and our points.”

3. “When I leave the rink, I try to do my own thing, and not really worry about hockey all the time. That’s really important. Disconnecting a little bit is always really nice. Days off, just stay away from the rink and do things on my own, be outside. Take care of myself. But at the same time, hockey is a big part of everybody in here’s lives. It is important that when you step back in, you are ready and are fully 100% invested in it.”

3a. “Just anything to get out. Sometimes I’ll just throw a show on and watch that for a little bit, but it’s been good. My Brother’s here right now, so he keeps me pretty well distracted from a lot of it, which is nice.”

Dickinson didn’t want to reveal what shows he is watching, but did say he has his comfort shows. He did mention that Ryan Reaves has given him many suggestions and takes them seriously.

Frank Nazar

The San Jose Sharks host the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday, and forward Frank Nazar was kind enough to participate in the same questions. Although the Blackhawks have been eliminated from Stanley Cup Playoff contention, hockey players still need to give their all for 82 games.

Nazar told SHD that his motivation is to follow his team’s process. Like the Sharks, the Blackhawks are a young, up-and-coming squad, so he’s playing for momentum into the next season.

1. & 2. “I’m just focusing on these last five games. I haven’t really thought to [look at the standings], right? We have five games left here as a group. You don’t know who’s gonna be here next year, what the team’s gonna look like. Just taking it all in and the time with each other, and spending quality time with everyone and each of the guys.”

3. “Video games are up there. Love music. When it’s a nice day out, I think it helps a bunch.”

“Almost any video game. [Nick Lardis and I] are playing a lot of Rocket League this year. It’s kind of like our first time getting going and playing, it’s tough, but it’s fun.”

Nazar did reveal that he is playing Rocket League’s competitive game mode, but requested his ranking to remain off the record.

“I like all types of music, really. This year, I’ve been listening to a lot of EDM, getting more into it. I was never really super huge into it. I was more of a rap-only. But now, honestly, I listen to everything.”

While their job and passion is playing hockey, it is important to remember that your favorite players on the Sharks and other teams are still human. Like the rest of us, they enjoy doing many things and hanging out with their friends.