(Ben Tompkins/northeastNOW Staff)

By Ben Tompkins

Victory Traditions

The story behind Mustangs’ Binner and Mulawka postgame handshake

Apr 2, 2025 | 12:40 PM

Every time the Melfort Mustangs win this season, one thing remains the same, without fault. Forward Kaleb Binner and netminder Madden Mulawka celebrate together.

Binner, a second-year Mustang, and Mulawka, a rookie backup, have developed a special celebratory handshake.

“After a win, we were pretty pumped up and I think we just wanted to do something. We kind of took a couple of wins to figure it out, but it’s stuck since the start,” explained Binner.

“We were just kind of looking for something to do after a win and it seemed like we were always the last two on the ice, so we had to find something to do. We tried it one day and it just kind of stuck,” Mulawka added.

The postgame handshake/celebration begins when the pair have waited for everyone to get off the ice. They then look around the building with a fake spyglass gesture as if they can’t find one another, despite being roughly 10 feet in front of each other.

Politics

Saskatchewan and Canada still at risk from tariffs, not much being done from Sask Party: NDP

12h ago

Ronald McDonald House

Outlining Ronald McDonald House build in Prince Albert's effect on the northeast

19h ago

Nipawin fire

Fire at Nipawin home rounds out busy day for crews

21h ago

Once they ‘surprisingly discover’ their teammate, what follows gets them and the crowd quite fired up.

“We start on opposite ends of the ice, and I kind of do a little dance and he kind of looks around the rink for me, then we we skate up to each other, and then it’s three big high fives down low, and then a big jump and a hug. It’s been fun and I think the fans are loving it too, so they’ve caught on,” Binner continued.

“I think a couple of the guys are definitely starting to notice and catch on too, so I think a lot of the guys love it and it could definitely get them pumped up too, for sure,” Mulawka said.

What might be the most impressive thing about the commitment to this possible superstition is that it never wavered despite an injury to one of its key contributors.

Kaleb Binner missed more than a month of game action late in the season due to a hand injury. While he couldn’t suit up for his club, he still made sure to come down from the stands after the game, even if Mulawka didn’t get the start in net that night, to participate with his teammate.

“It’s our thing and we want to do it until the end, even in playoffs, so we couldn’t abandon it regardless of the circumstances. We have a countdown of how many times we have left to do it, so it’s sticking and it’s working. Gotta stick to what’s working, you know,” mentioned Binner.

Another thing that may surprise people is that Binner is from Calgary, Alberta and Mulawka is from Edmonton, Alberta. Usually, people from those large Candian cities are bitter rivals, but not in this case, as thankfully they like the same professional hockey team.

“I’m actually an Oilers fan, so it’s between two Oilers fans, and we kind of connected from the start, so it’s been fun and I love it,” Binner concluded.

–

Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On X @BenTompkins_8