NHL players reveal their favorite scary movies
'Conjuring,' 'Friday the 13th' among the most popular Halloween films
We polled players from around the league to find out their favorite frightening films.
Take their recommendations...if you dare.
Jakob Chychrun, Arizona Coyotes defenseman:
"I saw 'Sinister' and I thought it was very well done. When I go to a horror movie, when I leave the theatre I want to say, 'that (director) is a genius'. And I was thinking that. Great story and incredible suspense. He had me."
Ryan O'Reilly, Buffalo Sabres forward:
"I remember I was really young I saw 'Candyman' and my brother [Cal O'Reilly] kind of made me watch it with his friends and I was terrified. I couldn't sleep and I was young, too, but I just remember that was one of the scariest. It's the most I've ever been scared. ... It was Cal and his buddy and I was hanging out with them and they wanted to watch it. I was a little too young but that didn't stop them and, yeah, that was one of the first times I was ever scared for my life."
Kyle Okposo, Buffalo Sabres forward:
"My favorite is 'Scream' just because that was the first one that I watched when I was growing up. I remember watching in my dad's office, I was a little young, and it really got me; it scared me. So now I just kind of watch it around every Halloween time and just kind of chuckle at it. But I think my favorite, the best one, the scariest movie I've ever seen is 'The Strangers.' ... Any time a movie is based on a true story it always adds a little bit of an element and that one is just, it's a cabin in the woods and it seems like it could kind of happen."
Mikael Backlund, Calgary Flames forward:
"I don't watch scary movies often, but I remember watching 'The Shining' when I was young. I liked it. I don't watch scary movies, but it was the one time. I thought it was pretty good. I remember at the time I liked it. I was 15. That's 15 years ago, almost."
Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames forward:
"I don't watch scary movies. I hate them. I hate them. Too scary for me. I don't like scary movies."
Mark Giordano, Calgary Flames defenseman:
"I love scary movies. I think the best one I've ever seen in theatres is 'Paranormal Activity.' They made about five of them. The first three were really good. 'The Exorcist' is the classic. They've come out with a show based on the movie. It's great. Me and my wife are really into that."
Tyler Motte, Chicago Blackhawks forward:
"I'm not a big scary movie guy. I think the last scary movie, maybe not even Halloween, was 'The Strangers.' There's two or three people with, like, corn bags over their head and they knock on the door of a house that's, of course, in the middle of nowhere. And they just basically mess with them and torture them and scare them for an entire night. And then, in the morning they wake up and they're like, 'Why'd you do this to us?' and they're like, 'Because you were home.' So, I decided for the rest of my life I never wanted to be home on a night like that. Since then, I don't think I've seen a scary movie in a long time."
Matt Dumba, Minnesota Wild defenseman:
"'The Conjuring.' Probably the scariest movie I've ever seen. I haven't mustered up the courage [to watch 'The Conjuring 2']. The first one messed me up for like two months. It was bad, I was sleeping with my roommate it was really bad; scariest movie."
Charlie Coyle, Minnesota Wild forward:
"I used to be deathly afraid of the Chuckie ('Child's Play') movies when I was younger. I used to be scared he was going to come into my room. I think one of the scariest movies I've ever seen because it's more real life is 'The Strangers.' At the end they're like 'why did you pick us' and it's like 'because you were home' it's like 'oh my god,' ok."
Devan Dubnyk, Minnesota Wild goalie:
"I'm more of a ghosty; the demonic stuff is hit and miss for me, sometimes it gets a little too deep. I don't like to get into something that's actually going to affect me. 'Cabin in the Woods.' It's hard to explain. When I watched it I thought it was a scary movie which it sort of is, sort of not. I can't really say anything because I don't want to ruin the movie. For a second you're like 'ok this is stupid' and then it gets so outrageous it's awesome. I can't even describe how ridiculous it gets. It's not really a scary movie it's one of a kind. 'The Conjuring,' too. I have 'The Conjuring 2' lined up on my iTunes. I was going to watch it on the road but I need my sleep."
Brenden Dillon, San Jose Sharks defenseman:
"I don't know if it was my favorite, but my most memorable would be probably the very first 'Saw' movie. I remember watching that one, and it being tough to sleep for the next couple weeks. I don't know if it was late elementary school, but that was like the talk of my next couple months for sure. I also remember Halloween. I was like 8 years old, and we had a sleepover at my buddy's place for a birthday party because his birthday is in October. I remember I went to the bathroom and came back. We were all in our sleeping bags watching it. Of course my buddy pops up from behind the TV, and I'm the guilty victim."
Luca Sbisa, Vancouver Canucks defenseman:
"I hate scary movies, I get too scared. I wanted this one, 'The Fourth Kind,' and that was it. I will watch them if I know it's like a made-up movie but if it's paranormal stuff, I refuse to watch because it messes up my head."
Brandon Sutter, Vancouver Canucks forward:
"My favorite scary movie, even though I hated it, was 'The Ring.' From that point on I could not watch scary movies anymore so as far as I know 'The Ring' is the scariest movie of all time. I watched it when I was like 14 and I couldn't watch another one; I didn't sleep for a week."
Bo Horvat, Vancouver Canucks forward:
"I have to say both of 'The Conjuring' movies. I saw the first one and I just saw the second one the other day and I think probably just the scariness of them, it's like I can't sleep at night. I am terrified of scary movies but I get forced to go see them."
Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals goalie:
"I don't do scary movies. At one point I did, but I just don't like them. I like thrillers, like 'Saw' would be the very tip of the iceberg for me, where there is actually something you have to figure out, not just a guy creeping around the house and running away from him in the dark. I don't find any joy in that."