Media Day? Joel Ward would rather watch 'Ellen'

Joel Ward isn't a fan of media day.

The San Jose Sharks forward let it be known Sunday that he'd rather be watching television hours before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

"I don't like the hoopla too much," Ward said, according to Sports Illustrated's Alex Prewitt. "I'd rather be hibernating, caved up in my room, watching 'Ellen.'"

The "Ellen" watching is working for Ward, and pro athletes are nothing if not creatures of habit. The 35-year-old had the second-best statistical season of his career, scoring 21 goals and adding 22 assists in 79 games. He's been a force in the postseason as well, with six goals and five assists in 18 games.

It's the unheralded guys who go a long way in helping a team lift the Stanley Cup, and the Washington Capitals were open about the fact they missed Ward after they were eliminated in the second round by the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Game 1 between the Penguins and Sharks goes Monday at 8 p.m. ET in Pittsburgh.