A rematch, that has been 25 years in the making, happens tonight at Honda Center! The Anaheim Ducks face off against the Detroit Red Wings to celebrate their 25th anniversary season as a franchise. Ducks Nation is amped up and roaring to go, but what does this game mean to the fans in “Hockeytown”?
Twenty-five years ago, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim took the ice at Arrowhead Pond for their first regular season game in franchise history. The bright-eyed team of misfits was scheduled to face off against the Detroit Red Wings. The “Pond” was filled with enthusiastic fans who were ecstatic that a hockey team had finally landed in Orange County.
With freshly sharpened skates and an optimistic attitude, Anatoli Semenov skated out to center ice to battle Sergei Fedorov. Semenov put up a fight, but Fedorov won the face off. This was an early sign that the Red Wings would control the pace of the game. Detroit upset the Mighty Ducks, defeating them 7-2.
Tomorrow, the Anaheim Ducks and the Detroit Red Wings take the ice again in a rematch that has been 25-years in the making. No longer the infant team of 1993, the Anaheim Ducks are looking for different results this time around. Although their rivalry hasn’t been as prominent since the Red Wings moved to the Eastern Conference in 2014, the anticipation surrounding this game is riveting.
As part of Pucks of a Feather’s celebration of the Anaheim Ducks 25th anniversary, I had the distinct honor of interviewing Bob Heyrman, the site expert at Octopus Thrower. He provided me with some great insight from the perspective of a Detroit Red Wings fan.
Legend of the Octopus
Allow me to introduce you to Bob Heyrman and the Octopus Thrower. If you’re anything like me, you are probably wondering, what does the phrase “octopus thrower” have to do with the Detroit Red Wings? Up until a few days ago, I had no idea what it meant. For those of you who may not know the legend of the octopus, allow me to enlighten you. This tradition started in the early years of the NHL when the teams would play two best of seven contests. To win the Stanley Cup, a team had to win a total of eight games.
During Detroit’s 1952 cup run, two superstitious Red Wings fans thew an octopus out on the ice for good luck. The octopi’s eight legs represented the number of games the team had to win in order to raise the cup. They went on to sweep the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens, winning the Stanley Cup. Thus, the tradition was born.
The tradition has since been banned in Detroit, seeing as how it is a concern to the safety of the players. Plus, the smell and the mess don’t make for the most pleasant experience. Nevertheless, the Red Wings will always be known for their octopus throwing traditions. To keep the memory of their tradition alive, Detroit’s purple mascot, Al the Octopus, is raised to the rafters whenever the Red Wings make it to the playoffs.
Bob Heyrman probably knows this legend better than the back of his hand. He has been a fan of the Detroit Red Wings for 31 years. He’s seen the team raise the Stanely Cup four times, witnessed the Russian Five take the NHL world by storm, and he’s remained a faithful fan through their recent struggles.
Bob took over the duty’s as site expert in July, and he’s been doing a stand-up job. He might not have been at the helm long, but his vision for his site is admirable. Octopus Thrower is filled with quality daily content chalked full of hard facts and honest opinions. The Detroit Red Wings are represented well here at FanSided.