Red Wings Fan Is Facing A Lifetime Ban After Throwing The First Octopus On The Ice At Little Caesars Arena
CBC - Detroit Red Wings’ superfan Nick Horvath smuggled an octopus into Little Caesars Arena with the hope of claiming his place in history. Instead, he’s facing a lifetime ban.
Horvath and his buddies wrapped an octopus snugly around his stomach and concealed their secret cargo under a Gordie Howe all-star jersey ahead of the Wings’ home opener last week in the team’s new home. Every detail was carefully planned but everything went wrong when the eight-legged animal went airborne…”The crowd was going nuts,” said Horvath. “As they were escorting me out people were booing them, ‘Let him go!’ People were high-fiving me, giving me spanks on the butt, slaps on the butt … everyone loved it.”
Everyone, it turns out, except for staff at the Little Caesars Arena, who escorted him to police, where he was charged with a misdemeanour offence and told he wasn’t welcome back to the rink — ever.
The first time a dead octopus was thrown onto the ice in Detroit was April 15, 1952. Pete and Jerry Cusimano were the first to hurl the 8-legged sea creature out on to the ice because the 8 legs/arms/tentacles represented the 8 playoff wins you needed need to win the Stanley Cup. Back then there were only two best-of-7 game series. But here’s a point I’m trying to make. We know the names Pete and Jerry Cusimano to this day. They may not be household names but those names pop up every single time you Google search “Detroit Red Wings octopus”. Names that will be remembered forever as the two brothers who started the tradition in Detroit. And joining those names will be Nick Horvath.
The Red Wings played at Joe Louis Arena since 1979. Think about how many octopi have been tossed onto that ice. Hundreds. Thousands. Maybe even a billion octopi. Billion with a B. You’re not going to remember the name of each individual octopus thrower the Joe has ever seen. But how many octopi have been thrown onto the ice at Little Caesars Arena? Well so far, just one. And the only man brave enough to keep the tradition going into the new barn is Nick Horvath. And he should be commended as a hero for this action, not sentenced to a lifetime ban from the arena.
The Red Wings are in need of a rebuild if they’re going to get back to their winning ways. But a roster rebuild. You don’t rebuild tradition. You don’t rebuild the fanbase that got you to where you are today. You keep the octopus, you rebuild around Larkin and Mantha, and before you know it you have a team that’s set for another 25-year playoff streak. Take away the tradition and all your left with is an underachieving team that plays inside of a giant Kid Rock restaurant. Not good! Free Nick Horvath and release the octopi!