where does the tradition of throwing an octopus on the ice at red wings games come from?
Seven answers:
coolguyhockeyplayer
2008-04-25 23:51:07 UTC
I stole this from Wikipedia.
"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 during a playoff run. 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,[1] 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.[2] 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."
2008-04-26 04:58:35 UTC
It use to take 8 wins to win a stanley cup, and there are 8 tenticles on the octopus.
shark7777
2008-04-25 23:50:23 UTC
I believe it came from the old days when in the playoffs teams only had to win 2 series to win the Stanley Cup. Thus, they needed 8 wins, signified by the 8 legs of an octupus.