Legend of the Octopus

The Legend of the Octopus is a sports tradition during Detroit Red Wings home games in which an octopus is thrown onto the ice surface for good luck. The origins of the activity go 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 tradition was first started on April 15, 1952 by Pete and Jerry Cusimano, [cite web|url=http://redwings.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NHLPage&bcid=his_octopus|title=Legend of the Octopus|accessdate=2007-10-01|publisher=Detroit Red Wings] brothers and storeowners in Detroit's Eastern Market. 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, because the tossing of octopuses is generally viewed as a successful symbol of good luck, the practice has persisted each year; in one 1995 game, fans threw 36 octopuses, including a 30-pounder. [http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006604190347dead link|date=October 2007] The Red Wings' unofficial mascot is a purple octopus named Al, 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.

Octopus etiquette

There is a certain etiquette that must be followed for fans that wish to throw octopuses onto the ice. [cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E00E0DA1139F937A25757C0A960958260|title=When Octopuses Are Flying in Detroit It's...|accessdate=2008-05-11|publisher=The New York Times]

Beforehand, an octopus should be boiled for at least 20 minutes on high heat with a little lemon juice and white wine. This will mask the creature's odor as well as reducing the amount of slime. A raw dead thrown octopus would result in a smelly ball that would stick to the ice upon impact and possibly leave an inky stain, while a well-boiled octopus will bounce and roll across the surface of the ice.

After the octopus has been properly prepared it must be smuggled into the ice arena, as it is against the law in Detroit (and other NHL cities) for a fan to throw anything onto the ice during a game. A preferred method is to wrap the octopus in plastic (a trash bag or a large Ziploc bag will do) and then wrap the package around one's middle section to give the appearance of a beer belly.

The most appropriate time to throw an octopus onto the ice is after the national anthem is sung or after the Red Wings have scored a goal. The octopus must be thrown onto the ice surface in an area that is clear of all players. It is never acceptable to aim for opposing players. Tactics are also used to protect the identity of octopus-throwers from arena security. It is common practice for the hurler to ask the surrounding people to stand up with him to shroud the task in anonymity.

Experienced throwers grasp the octopus around the middle of its arms with the octopus's head (or more correctly, its mantle) hanging down near the thrower's knee and then swings the octopus with an overarm motion. Holding the octopus by the ends of its arms prior to the throw may result in the mantle of the octopus breaking off during the wind-up.

After successfully participating in this peculiar tradition, the octopus thrower is left with a tell-tale indicator: stinky hands. It is advisable to bring along a wet wipe and a slice of lemon to assist in removing the odor.

Events inspired by the octopus

The octopus tradition has launched a couple of other object-tossing manias.

During the 1996 Stanley Cup Playoffs, fans of the Florida Panthers threw thousands of toy rats on the ice whenever the Panthers scored, inspired by the octopus toss and the story of Scott Mellanby killing a rat in the Panthers' dressing room. [cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=300430|title=Mellanby hang's em up after 1,431 games|accessdate=2008-05-10|publisher=NHL.com] The NHL eventually cracked down on the rat-tossing because of the lengthy delays they could cause, and it ceased altogether shortly after the Panthers' Cup Finals run ended.Fact|date=May 2008

Ten years later, 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. Oilers fans continued throwing steaks, even at away games, resulting in several arrests at the away cities. [cite news|url=http://www.newsobserver.com/796/story/448204.html|title=Beef chucking ends|accessdate=2007-10-01|last=Brevorka|first=Jennifer|date=2006-06-08|work=The News & Observer]

In the 2002-2003 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 Detroit Red Wings and the Nashville Predators. [cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C01EED81038F935A25752C1A9659C8B63|title=HOCKEY; Predators Knock the Isles Off Their Feet|accessdate=2008-05-11|publisher=The New York Times] 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." This tradition continues, in Game 3 of the 2008 Western Conference quarterfinals matchup between the Detroit Red Wings and the Nashville Predators the hometown Nashville fans threw 4 catfish onto the ice. [cite web|url=http://preps.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080415/SPORTS02/804150374/0/PREPSFACTORY03|title=Ellis gets job done, earns first playoff victory|accessdate=2008-05-11|publisher=The Tennessean]

Twirling ban

Al Sobotka, the Joe Louis Arena head ice manager and one of the two Zamboni drivers, is the person who retrieves the thrown octopuses 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.

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. [cite web|url=http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080419/OPINION03/804190403/1128/sports0103|title=NHL freezes Sobotka's swirl|accessdate=2008-04-24|publisher=The Detroit News] 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. [cite web|url=http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080419/SPORTS05/804190350/1053/SPORTS05|title=NHL bans octopus swinging; $10,000 fine for offenders|accessdate=2008-05-10|publisher=The Detroit Free Press] In an article describing the effects of the new rule the Detroit Free Press dubbed the NHL's prohibition as "Octopus-gate". [cite web|url=http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080425/SPORTS05/80425013/1053/SPORTS05|title=Octopus-gate takes another dramatic turn|accessdate=2008-05-30|publisher=The Detroit Free Press] 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. [cite web|url=http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080508/BLOG09/80507089/1053/SPORTS05&GID=771j3dyQ+AQCnttsrVgjwWD4sfSxMX0h+vLkaxJ94c0%3D|title=Rejoice: Octopus twirling OK again!|accessdate=2008-05-10|publisher=The Detroit Free Press]

ee also

* Detroit Red Wings
* Stanley Cup
* Al the Octopus

References