Now, unlike our previous entries, the Red Wings do not have a cheerleader type staff of hot girls for dancing or ice maintance.
But, that doesn't mean they aren't there on the ice staff.
Here we see some shots of them cleaning up, what else, octopi.
If you are reading this, I assume you know the drill with octoups tossing in Detroit. If not, it's a tradition dating back to the 1952 playoffs, when a National Hockey League team played two best-of-seven series to capture the Stanley Cup. The octopus, having eight arms, symbolized the number of playoff wins necessary for the Red Wings to win the Stanley Cup. The practice started April 15, 1952 when Pete and Jerry Cusimano, brothers and storeowners in Detroit's Eastern Market, hurled an octopus into the rink of The Old Red Barn. The team swept the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens en route to winning the championship, as well as winning two of the next three championships.
Since 1952 the practice has persisted with each passing year. In one 1995 game, fans threw 36 octopuses, including a specimen weighing 38 pounds. The Red Wings' unofficial mascot is a purple octopus named Al (after Al Sobotka who we'll meet later), and during playoff runs two of these mascots are also hung from the rafters of the Joe Louis Arena, symbolizing the 16 wins now needed to win the Stanley Cup.
The octopus has become such an accepted part of the team's lore, that fans have developed what is considered proper etiquette and technique for throwing an octopus onto the ice.
So, here's how it was in the good old days.
Red Wings score important goal, random fan tosses octopus.
Al Sobotka, the Joe Louis Arena head ice manager and one of the two Zamboni drivers, is the person who retrieves the thrown octopus from the ice. After he retrieves an octopus, he has been known to twirl it above his head as he walks across the ice rink to the Zamboni entrance.
That was pre-2008.
On April 19, 2008, NHL director of hockey operations Colin Campbell sent a memo to the Detroit Red Wings organization that forbids Zamboni drivers from cleaning up any octopuses thrown onto the ice and imposes a $10,000 fine for violating the mandate. The linesmen will instead perform any clean-up duties.
In an email to the Detroit Free Press, NHL spokesman Frank Brown justified the ban because "matter flies off the octopus and gets on the ice" when Al Sobotka swings it above his head. In an article describing the effects of the new rule the Detroit Free Press dubbed the NHL's prohibition as "Octopus-gate". By the beginning of the third round of the 2008 Playoffs, the NHL loosened the ban to allow for the octopus twirling to take place at the Zamboni entrance.
The ban has been further loosened as girls on the ice crew and not linesmen perform the clean up duty today.
Well, anyone on the ice crew can get it, but why would I show you a picture of some guy when I have a picture of this girl?
The act of throwing things on the ice is nothing new. Hat tricks have been around for some time where fans throw their hats on the ice when a player score three goals in a game.
Pretty girls cleaning up the hats is relatively new.
The octopus toss, which we now know has been around since '52, has only recently begun to inspire copycats.
The first noteable copycat was in the 1995 Stanley Cup Playoffs, as the hype about the Wings' run to the Finals grew, a fan at the Boston Garden threw a lobster onto the ice during a playoff game between the Boston Bruins and the New Jersey Devils.
When in the 1995 Stanley Cup Finals the Red Wings took on the New Jersey Devils and Devils fan threw a fish in Brendan Byrne Arena after the Devils scored a goal.
During the 1996 Stanley Cup Playoffs, fans of the Florida Panthers threw thousands of toy rats on the ice whenever the Panthers scored, instigated by the octopus toss and the story of Scott Mellanby killing a rat in the Panthers' dressing room.
This caused lengthy delays and was discontinued by the NHL.
In the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs, during the opening-round series between the Wings and the Edmonton Oilers, an Edmonton radio host suggested throwing Alberta Beef on the ice before the game.
In the 2002–03 season, the Nashville Predators fans began throwing catfish onto their home ice, in response to the Red Wings tradition. The first recorded instance occurred on October 26, 2002 in a game between the Red Wings and the Predators. Jessica Hanley, who helps clean the ice in the Gaylord Entertainment Center, has told the press that: ''They are so gross. They're huge, they're heavy, they stink and they leave this slimy trail on the ice. But, hey, if it's good for the team, I guess we can deal with it.''
That's not Jessica, but it appears she's right. That's kinda gross.
In the Game 1 of the 2009-10 Western Conference Quarterfinals between the Detroit Red Wings and the Phoenix Coyotes, a rubber snake was thrown onto the ice following the Coyotes' Keith Yandle's goal.
In the Game 2 of the 2009-10 Western Conference Semifinals between the Detroit Red Wings and San Jose Sharks, a small shark was tossed to the ice with an octopus inside its mouth.
During the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Vancouver Canucks fans threw salmon on the ice.
In December of 2010 Joe Robb chucked waffles on the ice at a Toronto Maple Leafs game.
It was to show his unhappiness at the 6-3 loss to the Atlanta Thrashers. Robb avoided charges but is banned from the Air Canada Centre for life and had to do five hours of community service.
This act of unhappiness was felt by many Toronto Maple Leaf fans and the waffle became a symbol for them to rally behind. Well, rally in the sense that they loved the Leafs, but hated the way they played.
Famous Vancouver Canuck fans, The Green Men, known for their antics by the penalty box also embraced the waffle. To taunt in their antics.
But not everyone likes the octopus toss. Namely, other teams.
Helpful hint. If you work for another team and you're playing the Red Wings and you go to get the octopus off the ice, don't twirl it.
You'll get terminated immediately.
But it's not just the arena staffs that hate octo-tosses.
During the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals, in which the Red Wings defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins, seafood wholesalers in Pittsburgh, led by Wholey's Fish Market, began requiring identification from customers who purchased octopuses, refusing to sell to buyers from Michigan.
So what happens to Detroit fans on the road?
When fans in oppossing arena show their support for the Wings with flying seafood, they first get escorted out of their seats by the police...
...then arrested.
That comes with jail time and a fine.
But not everything tossd on the ice comes with jail time. Sometimes, it is literally charity.
Many junior and minor league teams encourage fans to bring teddy bears to a select game and have them toss those bears on the ice when the home team scores its first goal.
That picture really doesn't capture the essence of a teddy bear toss. We have to go to the video.
That's it for today's entry. Not a lot of girls, but still fun.
-A full list of ice crews can be found here.-
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