On-ice 'Gladiator' tribute from Oilers' Levi draws Russell Crowe shoutout

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  Greg WyshynskiNov 15, 2026, 10:49 AM ET

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  Greg Wyshynski is ESPN's senior NHL writer.

Edmonton Oilers goalie Devon Levi received a shoutout from Maximus himself after revealing there's a "Gladiator" tribute among his on-ice rituals this season.

Levi registered his first career NHL shutout Saturday night in a 1-0 win at the Toronto Maple Leafs. During the game, Sportsnet cameras caught the goalie doing something unusual, as he pressed his bare hand against the ice during a stoppage in play.

"It's just a little ritual just to connect with the ice. Just something that I just started doing at the beginning of the year, and I enjoy it," Levi told reporter Kyle Bukauskas. "Kind of locks me in, like the feeling of the cold."

Levi, 24, said the Oscar-winning film "Gladiator" helped inspire the ritual, in particular something that Russell Crowe's character Maximus does before battling in the coliseum.

"There's 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," Levi said. "I don't know if that's why I did it, but that was a cool scene that I definitely thought of."

On Sunday morning, Crowe posted video of the interview on his X account and sent a message to Levi: "Strength and Honour young man."

This isn't the first time Levi has incorporated something from the cinema into his on-ice routine. As a goalie for Northeastern University, Levi caught fans' attention while kneeling in front of his crease with his stick across his thighs in a meditative state during TV timeouts. He said it was inspired by a scene in "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace" in which Jedi master Qui-Gon Jinn meditates while waiting to battle his nemesis Darth Maul.

Levi was drafted in the seventh round by the Florida Panthers in 2020. He played the first 39 games of his career over three seasons with the Buffalo Sabres before being traded to the Oilers in July for two draft picks.

To answer the famous question from "Gladiator": Oilers fans are entertained, as Levi is 9-1-0 this season with a 2.48 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage.