Embracing Butterflies and Breathwork
- Reframe pregame nerves as excitement: Lindgren treats butterflies as a signal that the game matters to him, not as a warning sign.
- Nerves naturally decrease with age, experience, and self-confidence — even elite NHL goalies still feel them at 30.
- Breathwork is a practical technique Lindgren uses to manage nerves and excitement before and during games.
- Viewing every start as a blessing helps Lindgren stay present and reduce performance anxiety.
- For most goalies, nerves dissipate once the anthem ends and the puck drops — the anticipation is often worse than the game itself.
Charlie Lindgren is 30 years old.
Next season will be his 10th in professional hockey.
His first NHL game was with the storied Montreal Canadiens, making his professional debut as a 21-year-old shortly after finishing his college career at St. Cloud State. He has since played for the St. Louis Blues and is now the No. 1 for the Washington Capitals.
Despite all those experiences, Lindgren admits he still gets nervous from time to time, still feels those same butterflies that pretty much every goalie has at some point during their time in the crease. The key is knowing how to manage them, so Lindgren shared advice on how he deals with nerves during his recent appearance on the InGoal Radio Podcast.
more with Charlie Lindgren...
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