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Burke knew recent Cup winners suffered performance failure the following spring and assumed those who had experienced "hangover" would know how to avoid it. He was wrong.
"They all laughed at me," Burke said. "(Carolina Hurricanes GM) Jimmy Rutherford just said, 'Your guys just climbed Mount Everest for you. Don't expect them to do it again real soon.' "
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The Red Wings respect the hangover curse enough that coach Mike Babcock did fact-finding this summer in an effort to combat it. He spent considerable time discussing it with former Detroit captain Steve Yzerman and the team's veterans, such as captain Nicklas Lidstrom and Kris Draper, who won Cups with the Red Wings in 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2008.
"What we did is come to training camp with the idea that we wanted to create normalcy," Babcock said. "We are doing the same thing we have done every other year and are conscious of the fact there is a different expectation. But there's always high expectations in Detroit."
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Burke said the Stanley Cup hangover involves three factors:
"Guys are mentally exhausted," Burke said. "They have survived four series and had to be at their peak for two months, and they have achieved their life dream. That requires a pause to refocus."
Burke said the second aspect of the hangover is that champions are physically exhausted.
Finally, Burke said, "They don't prepare properly. They spend the summer partying, which they should."
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Holland said fatigue isn't as much of a factor as the satisfied feeling that comes from winning.
"It's not about mental fatigue — it's about motivation," Holland said. "It's regaining the hunger to go into the hard areas, shift after shift, day after day."
Burke said it is difficult for some players not to feel as if their quest is over once they have won. "For some players, one title is enough," he said.
"They all laughed at me," Burke said. "(Carolina Hurricanes GM) Jimmy Rutherford just said, 'Your guys just climbed Mount Everest for you. Don't expect them to do it again real soon.' "
...
The Red Wings respect the hangover curse enough that coach Mike Babcock did fact-finding this summer in an effort to combat it. He spent considerable time discussing it with former Detroit captain Steve Yzerman and the team's veterans, such as captain Nicklas Lidstrom and Kris Draper, who won Cups with the Red Wings in 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2008.
"What we did is come to training camp with the idea that we wanted to create normalcy," Babcock said. "We are doing the same thing we have done every other year and are conscious of the fact there is a different expectation. But there's always high expectations in Detroit."
...
Burke said the Stanley Cup hangover involves three factors:
"Guys are mentally exhausted," Burke said. "They have survived four series and had to be at their peak for two months, and they have achieved their life dream. That requires a pause to refocus."
Burke said the second aspect of the hangover is that champions are physically exhausted.
Finally, Burke said, "They don't prepare properly. They spend the summer partying, which they should."
...
Holland said fatigue isn't as much of a factor as the satisfied feeling that comes from winning.
"It's not about mental fatigue — it's about motivation," Holland said. "It's regaining the hunger to go into the hard areas, shift after shift, day after day."
Burke said it is difficult for some players not to feel as if their quest is over once they have won. "For some players, one title is enough," he said.
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