Brother, Can You Spare an Octopus?

The Detroit Red Wings announced Tuesday that they would not allow fans to bring octopuses into Joe Louis Arena to throw onto the ice during the playoffs. Why would anyone want to do that in the first place?

According to the Detroit Red Wing public-relations department, the ritual began during the 1952 Stanley Cup playoffs. Back then, only four teams made the playoffs, so it took only eight victories to win the Stanley Cup. On April 15, 1952, the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup at home against Montreal. Pete and Jerry Cusimano, who owned a local fish store, came to the game prepared to celebrate the eighth victory. They smuggled a boiled octopus into the arena and, after the victory, threw it onto the ice. The eight tentacles symbolized the eight victories.

That began a tradition that continued every year the Red Wings made the playoffs. An octopus also was thrown onto the ice in 1979 on the first night the Red Wings played in their current arena. Most of the creatures weigh less than 10 pounds, but during the 1994 playoffs, an octopus weighing 35 pounds was thrown onto the ice.

One final note: What happens to the octopus after it is scooped up? A member of the Red Wing staff tosses it into the Detroit River, which is only 100 yards from the arena.