Octopus twirl now banned

Posted by on . 11 comments

Update (8:23 PM): Some more reactions from around the blogosphere:

Tom Benjamin

Gorilla Crouch

Christy Hammond

Detroit Hockey

Kevin Schultz

- Matt

I know the NHL has zero respect for tradition and history, but this is ridiculous:

The NHL has decided octopus twirling doesn’t fit in with league image, or something to that effect. The Wings have been told by the league that if Al Sobotka (or anyone else) twirls the octopus that’s thrown onto the ice before playoff games, it’ll cost the team $10,000.

According to John Niyo, the act of removing an octopus (or any other object) from the ice will be the responsibility of the linesmen from now on.

So there goes a tradition that has served to get fans revved up for the game for years. What’s next, a team fine for having an octopus thrown on the ice at all?

George Malik suggests this smells of Predators GM David Poile’s penchant for whining. I wouldn’t be surprised in the least.

Greg Wyshynski sees this new stipulation as one that will die in the face of fan and editorial criticism. I can only hope so.

Filed under: NHL

Comments

  1. Ron Landrus says:
    April 19, 2008 at 11:53 am

    Two things maybe. Its the, Everyone hates the Detroit Red Wings and anything they stand for, Syndrome. Or the whiners now are in power.

    Reply
  2. Justin says:
    April 19, 2008 at 12:45 pm

    Supposedly, swinging the octopus around gets octopus slime on people, and goalies are complaining. Why this became an issue all of a sudden this year I don't know.

    Reply
  3. Frustrated Fan says:
    April 19, 2008 at 8:08 pm

    Does Gary Bettman realize what he is doing to hockey. Instead of helping hockey succeed, and regaining their old fans back, he is pushing away all fans in general, by trying to make the game “more exciting.” Little does he realize what he is doing is actually HURTING the game, first fighting, which was a BAD BAD MOVE, and has made hockey a dirtier game, with all the cheap shots, and now this? WTF!!!!! If they wanted to keep the game entertaining they would have kept fighting in the game, and made it so the players could police themselves. Hockey has all these cheap shots now because the enforcers can’t go out there and do their jobs. MAKE HOCKEY THE WAY IT USED TO BE, AND ALLOW ALL TRADITIONS!!!!!

    Reply
  4. Erik says:
    April 19, 2008 at 10:02 pm

    Figures the Ducks would fit into this somehow! Brian Burke was the one who complained! We've got Gary Bettman and the Poultry involved- all we need is a Colorado representative and we've got Axis of Evil on Ice.

    Reply
  5. Brian says:
    April 20, 2008 at 6:40 am

    "Does Gary Bettman realize what he is doing to hockey."

    I realize Colin Campbell reports to Gary Bettman, but Colin deserves some of the heat as well. Let's face it, COLIN wrote and signed the mandate, and sent it to the Wings. As much as people believe there's an evil little man pushing all the buttons to make them mad behind the scenes at the NHL, it's just not the case. You're making it too easy to be Colin Campbell when, based on some of his decisions, it should be rougher.

    Reply
  6. Ian says:
    April 20, 2008 at 9:43 am

    I wonder if animal cruelty measures had anything to do with this? As a an advocate for such measures, that would make the most sense to me, but if that's the case, why is it simply the TWIRLING that is disallowed? Octopus ain't feelin' it by the time it gets twirled, you know?

    If it's for any other reason it's idiotic, and the notion that Brian Burke bitched to the league makes me want to kill his dog and swing it around in his face.

    That's a little harsh, but man I hate the Ducks.

    Reply
  1. Red Wings Octopus twirl now banned - Los Angeles Kings Hockey Fan Forum says:
    April 19, 2008 at 12:24 pm

    [...] permalink I know the NHL has zero respect for tradition and history, but this is ridiculous: The NHL has decided octopus twirling doesn’t fit in with league image, or something to that effect. The Wings have been told by the league that if Al Sobotka (or anyone else) twirls the octopus that’s thrown onto the ice before playoff games, it’ll cost the team $10,000. Octopus twirl now banned at On the Wings [...]

    Reply
  2. Gorilla Crouch » Archive » NHL Cracks down Renegade Octopus Twirler says:
    April 19, 2008 at 2:17 pm

    [...] read about the ban on Al Sobotka’s routine for pulling an octopus off the Joe Louis Arena ice and on the one [...]

    Reply
  3. NHL issues octopus twirl ban | Behind the Jersey says:
    April 19, 2008 at 4:34 pm

    [...] @ On the Wings: According to John Niyo, the act of removing an octopus (or any other object) from the ice will be [...]

    Reply
  4. 4/21 Links at On the Wings says:
    April 21, 2008 at 2:12 pm

    [...] (1:52 PM): James Mirtle points to an interesting quote on the octopus question in a New York Times article from last season. – [...]

    Reply
  5. On the Latest Octodrama « On the Wings says:
    April 15, 2011 at 11:26 am

    [...] been nearly three years since the League banned octopus twirling (with a later partial un-banning). The last thing the tradition needs is the City of Detroit [...]

    Reply

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