Watch Hedman's dicey 'Five Finger Fillet' ritual with Lightning manager

It takes a brave soul to sacrifice their fingers for the sake of a pregame ritual, but Tampa Bay Lightning assistant equipment manager Rob Kennedy lays his digits on the line.

To help Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman make sure his stick work is on point, Kennedy engages in a little "Five Finger Fillet" before every game.
Kennedy places his hands flat on the bench and Hedman uses the blade of his stick to dot the space in between Kennedy's fingers forward and backwards before the game. After the display the two share a quick shoulder bump.
"It's something we started doing 5-6 years ago and we've just kept it up," Hedman said. "I'm not really superstitious but it's just something I like to do before the game. I've hit his fingers a few times and maybe his face once but Rob's a tough guy. He can take it."
Someone who risks filleting his phalanges every night? That's the real MVP.
NHL.com correspondent Corey Long contributed to this report.