5:00: Climb the railing behind the Canucks bench and sit in the exact same seat every time with the same security guard a few rows back. Sip on a cup of hot coffee and freshly tape a brand new Rbk goalie stick with white tape - knob first and then blade.
5:05: Watch the giant jumbotron, finish the java, hold the Rbk stick like a light saber and tap it on the seat in front two times with jedi-like concentration.
5:10: Hop the railing and retreat back to the dressing room for game preparation.
6:35: First one on the ice in front of Markus Naslund and Matt Cooke for the pre-game skate. Take one lap and circle behind the net crouched down to avoid flying pucks.
6:37: Skate to the side boards at center ice for a stretch.
6:40: Glide back towards the zone and go to the left corner. Stop with the left and right skate straddling the goal-line, crouch down and stare at the ice. Then stand tall and watch as Naslund empties pucks from the goal four at a time.
6:50: Once the warm-up is done, tap left post with glove and right post with stick and take three or four strong strides towards the bench and dressing room.
7:00: First one on the ice again.
7:05: Stand just outside the crease while the national anthem(s) are playing with hair slicked back, rocking back and forth on skates while tapping the top of the right pad with goalie stick and glancing up at the jumbotron and back down at the ice.
7:10: Stop pucks
7:20: TV timeout - tap the left post with glove and right post with stick. Skate to the blueline, then crouch while coasting to the center-ice redline. (By now, the player sitting at the far end of the bench has already placed a Gatorade bottle on the bench dasher). Lift mask, skate to the far end of the bench and place Rbk stick on the dasher the same way everytime. Remove blocker, take only one tiny sip from the Gatorade bottle, place it back on the dasher and catch a towel thrown by trainer Mike Burnstein. Wipe face and throw towel back to Burnstein. Don't say a word to anyone. Put blocker back on, skate back through the neutral zone and put mask back on after crossing blueline. Stretch the neck by looking to the left, right and then up. Enter the crease while sliding stick along the ice, knocking each post three times - six in total.
8:30: Stop more pucks
8:45: TV timeout - see above.
9:30: Did I mention stop pucks?
9:45: Make the game winning save in the shootout.
9:47: It's time to pick a lucky fan in the stands who'll go home with the Rbk stick after being named the games first star.
9:47: There he is.
Repeat process for 46 MVP wins and counting...Happy Birthday Roberto!
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(photos courtesy of Jeff Vinnick - the best photographer in the business)
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