MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. — For the first 20 minutes after he arrives at an arena, Blackhawks goalie prospect Drew Commesso should not be bothered.
“Everyone knows to leave me alone,” Commesso said.
That’s because the Boston University alum — whose success has always been fueled just as much by his intelligence and innovative approach to hockey as by his talent, not that he lacks the latter — recently added a meditation session to his pregame routine.
“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.”
Commesso got the idea from watching a behind-the-scenes video the Capitals produced in 2015 about then-goalie Braden Holtby’s pregame routine.
Just like Holtby did, Commesso, 22, finds a quiet room, slides on his noise-canceling headphones, lays a towel over his eyes and cues up a meditation soundtrack, usually finding a new one for every game.
“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 meditation sessions halfway through last season in Rockford — his first as a pro — and that timing coincided with a significant statistical turnaround. His save percentage improved from .893 in 16 games before Jan. 10 to .915 in 22 games after.
“It just slows everything down for me,” he said. “Especially once you get into the season with big crowds . . . staying grounded [helps]. My job is to stop the puck. I can’t control how many goals we score. All I can do is give my best effort, try to stop every puck and give my team the best chance to win. Meditation makes you realize that’s all you can control.”
At this point, Commesso can trace his goaltending approach and training to an array of NHL stars. Holtby is just the latest addition to the list.
He picked up Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy’s yoga and stretching routines last summer, for example, and he believed those helped him stay fresh and limber down the stretch last season — when most of his teammates were banged up.
Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman is his biggest role model. They trained together some last summer in Boston and did so even more this summer. He was inspired by Swayman’s focus and compete levels in 6:45 a.m. skates, and when they went out for lunch together afterward, he picked his brain for more tips.
“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 tweaked his skates this summer. He switched 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, who saved 31 of 35 shots in the Hawks prospect team’s overtime loss Friday against the Blues, likely will begin the season back in Rockford.
He continues to be a focal point in the Hawks’ long-term plans. Goalies simply require lots of patience as they slowly develop.