ice hockey

 Ice hockey superstitions and customs, both strange and fascinating

Some of the most fervent, devoted, and die-hard supporters in all of sports support ice hockey clubs. It seems sense given all the reasons to adore hockey, including the fights, the frantic pace, and the outrageous goal celebrations.

                                        image source- hockey

In their quest for team success, fans and players alike have adopted a wide variety of strange and fascinating customs and superstitions. They include throwing animals onto the ice and body processes. All with the sake of winning at all costs.

The 'Legend of the Octopus' Chicago Blackhawks

At Detroit Red Wings games, everyone has witnessed the Octopus being thrown onto the ice, but how did it get started?

This strange belief was actually started by two brothers in 1952. Throughout that year's Stanley Cup playoff, they threw the eight-legged mollusk into the ice. 

Each tentacle was supposed to stand for the number of victories required by the Red Wings to win the Lord Stanley's Cup over the first six seasons. They did indeed win all 8 games after the tentacle-creature toss and blazed their way to a championship victory.

Even now, at the play-offs, octopuses are thrown onto the ice for good luck. In order to avoid a terrible stench and to maximize bounce-ability on the ice, there is now a "octopus-throwing etiquette" in place: boil your octopi with lemon and white wine for at least twenty minutes.

It's not the only obnoxious hockey custom; in 1975, the New York Islanders believed their successes were due to the elephant poop they carried around as good luck.

2. Avoid touching the Cup...

Don’t touch the cup until you’ve won the cup, otherwise, you’ll never win it. Some very superstitious players won’t be in the same room with it to avoid a jinx.

If you’re lucky enough to win, each team player is allowed one personal day with the cup in the off-season. It famously took a swim in Mario Lemieux’s pool, has been used for many a breakfast cereal, and one even christened his daughter in the bowl during his personal day.

With the original Stanley Cup bowl kept safely in the Hall of Fame, the presentation cup is the one presented as the confetti falls, we’re sure it has many a tale we can only imagine.

3. Quickening Tension

Unlike other sports, hockey still has a strong preference for the traditional sudden-death overtime, where teams continue to play until one team scores the winning goal.

Overtime in the 1936 Stanley Cup lasted 116 minutes, which is equal to an additional two games.

A recent Norwegian playoff game had 217 minutes in overtime and completed at 2am, setting a new record.

3. Playoff mustaches

Occasionally majestic, they aren't always attractive. The ultimate hockey custom is playoff beards. The beards lengthen as we approach further into the off-season of the game.

Once the playoffs begin, a player will start growing facial hair, and they will keep doing so until their team either wins or is eliminated.

Hair equals strength, according to Greek mythology. But this custom is believed to have started in the 1980s, when the New York Islanders missed their chance to shave due to four tightly spaced games. So, the play off beard developed and continues to develop now. Even devoted supporters take part.

Fifth, hats for hat tricks

The most unique hat trick celebration in all of sports is undoubtedly practiced by ice hockey enthusiasts.

Fans throw hats onto the ice after a player scores three goals in a game. This may have its roots in the past, when a player would receive a new hat from a hat manufacturer after scoring a hat trick.

One of the most famous hat tricks came from Mosienko for the Chicago Blackhawks, when he scored three goals in 21 seconds.

Once the ice crews have gathered all

The 'Hat Trick' is now unusual, but the 'Rat Trick' is much stranger. Scott Mellanby, a Florida Panthers player, used his stick to kill a mouse in the locker room before a game. The game that followed the rodent-murder saw Mellanby score twice, and for a while, supporters threw plastic (not live) rats onto the ice whenever the team scored major goals. The NHL has now banned throwing anything onto the ice, with the exception of caps, because it has resulted in so many delays.

6. The Florida Panthers' "Rat Trick"

The 'Hat Trick' is now unusual, but the 'Rat Trick' is much stranger. Scott Mellanby, a Florida Panthers player, used his stick to kill a mouse in the locker room before a game.

The game that followed the rodent-murder saw Mellanby score twice, and for a while, supporters threw plastic (not live) rats onto the ice whenever the team scored major goals.

The NHL has now banned throwing anything onto the ice, with the exception of caps, because it has resulted in so many delays.

7. Pre-game nausea

Glenn Hall, an ice hockey goalie who competed in the 1950s and 1960s, is considered to be a living goalie legend. What might his success's formula be? vomiting prior to the game!

He started doing this out of nervousness, but it quickly evolved into a superstitious pre-game routine. Hall insisted that he would have performed better if he had puked first.

People frequently have their own (slightly less messy) unique pre-game customs, such as only dressing either left-to-right or right-to-left when donning their equipment.

8. The Vancouver Canucks' Towel Power

Fans of the Vancouver Canucks thought that the Chicago Blackhawks' victory over them in 1982 was caused by bad refereeing. The Canucks were given multiple penalties by the referee, and their coach mocked a surrender by waving a white towel on the end of a hockey stick at the conclusion of the game.

The phrase "Towel Power" was created, and by the next game, supporters were waving white towels. It is utilized now to motivate the team.

9. Avoid touching the logo.

When a sizable piece of the room cannot be used for walking, it is obviously quite a logistical problem. Now that teams are aware of the problem, they are constructing their rooms with logos on the ceilings.

Celebrities have broken the custom in a number of well-known instances, but regardless of who you are, you should watch your step or suffer the consequences.

10 The Handshake line

Players will line up and shake their opponents' hands after each playoff series, despite giving it their all during the game.

It would be false to seem as though all interactions are amicable and full of goodwill after the previous few games of striking, slashing, and chirping.

However, there are some instances of true sportsmanship when two competitors or friends from off the rink come together in the line and display respect for one another.

The strange, long-standing ice hockey rituals are unlike any traditions or superstitions in other sports. They bring together entire fan communities, have been passed down through the centuries, and increase the fervor at the rink.

link source- https://thesporting.blog/blog/2018/2/20/weird-and-wonderful-ice-hockey-traditions-superstitions