Levi channels 'Gladiator' with pregame ritual, gets Crowe's blessing

Edmonton Oilers goalie Devon Levi stopped all 19 shots he faced in a 1-0 victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, but there was one lingering question following the game:

Are you not entertained?

In a postgame interview, Levi was asked about his ritual of removing his blocker and touching his right hand to the ice before game. The answer involves Russell Crowe.

"Just a little ritual just to connect with the ice," Levi said. "It kind of locks me in, I like the feeling of the cold... If I'm being honest there is a scene in 'Gladiator' where he picks up the sand and kind of plays with it. I've always liked that, it's always connected with me. I don't know if that's why I started doing it, but that was a cool scene that I definitely thought of."

Crowe, the Oscar-winning star of the 2000 blockbuster epic (which also won Best Picture), shared a clip of the interview and wrote on social media: "Strength and Honour young man. Devon Levi from the Edmonton Oilers."

Levi, who is in his fourth NHL season and first with the Oilers, is enjoying a hot start to this season, which is when he says he started the Maxiums-inspired ritual. He is 9-1 in 10 starts for the Pacific Division-leading Oilers while posting a 2.48 goals-against average and 90.6 save percentage.

Seems like Levi is having his vengeance in this life, no need to wait for the next.