Wyharls Warmup Rituals: a Mini Primer
One of the first things many people see about wyatt johnston and thomas harley’s dynamic as a duo is their warmup ritual. Three seasons in playing together and these two now have multiple pretty consistent rituals and routines you can catch, and i thought it would be fun to lay them all out!
i do feel the need to add a disclaimer: i have only been around the last two seasons, and as  thorough as i am, i haven’t been able to pinpoint when these started or Why. and as far as i know neither have talked about it. if anyone knows more about the origins of any of these please let me know!
The Main Ritual
If you’re familiar with wyharls you’ve probably seen some version of this ritual. It’s been a staple in their dynamic since Thomas got a full roster spot. But with every season you will see small changes to the way they perform it.
The full routine is usually over a minute long. They pass/tip the puck back and forth for a good while, before Thomas deflects the puck towards the boards. Wyatt follows the deflection, skating towards the boards and Tom checks (if you can call it that) him into the glass, holding him there a bit, before they both skate away.
In 2023-24, their passes were much worse and the check/hit into the glass was much less physical than you’ll see now.
(first pair of videos here are from 23-24, second from 24-25)
2024-25, their passes are much better (the difference is so funny) and Thomas will hit Wyatt much harder into the glass. Throughout this season Mav would occasionally linger at the end of this ritual and Wyatt would give him a shove after.
This year, 2025-26, they’ve added to their passing, changing it or making it more complex. The hit into the boards has almost become theatrical, Wyatt will often jump into it making it look more dramatic. They’re also much more smiley and talkative during the ritual this year, opposed to the more awkward vibe during most* of the seasons before. Mav is also now a consistent staple at the end of the ritual.
The Small Bump
On the opposite side of the ice from the main ritual, they’ve developed a smaller shorter version of it.
Wyatt skates in a circle, Thomas giving him a quick shove before, and ending it with a check into the boards.
In 2024-25, this little ritual was much shorter and more casual. As of now it’s almost as noticeable as the main routine.
Asteroids
About right in the middle of warmups, Wyatt clears pucks out of the net straight towards Thomas who stick handles through them.
They did this in 2024-25 but there’s much less video evidence of it. It’s a consistent staple now (and a routine i find very endearing).
Weeee
Wyatt will kneel and stick handle by the blue line and Thomas will skate circles around him. A cute little thing i’ve noticed enough to feel the need to add it :)
Miscellaneous Warmup Shenanigans
Wyatt trapping tom’s leg between his
Tom sticking his stick up wyatt’s jersey
Tom telling remi to move out of the way
