Out of the 21,000-plus fans in attendance at the Detroit Red Wings season opener at the Little Caesers Arena, only one person was going to get the chance to christen the ice with the first-ever Octopus toss in the building's history. Windsor-native Nick Horvath was the one to do it, and now he may never get to attend a Red Wings game in Detroit ever again.
Last Thursday, Horvath was in the building when the Red Wings played the Minnesota Wild in their home opener. Ahead of puck drop Horvath devised a plan with his friends to sneak an octopus into the arena, wrapping it on his body underneath his jersey. The plan worked to perfection and Horvath was able to chuck the octopus onto the ice in a move that was met with great applause. Unfortunately for Horvath, that's where both the fun and his evening would end, as arena security grabbed him and escorted him off of the premises.
Speaking with CBC's Dan Taekema, Horvath recounted the fateful moment when he was whisked away by security.
"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." (Nick Horvath/CBC)
So while fans at the Little Caeser Arena were impressed with Horvath's grand octopus caper, arena staff were not. At least not this time around. According to Horvath, when he managed to throw the final octopus onto the ice at the Joe last season, the ushers around him actually got in on the celebration, even giving him props.
Once Horvath was escorted out of the building and into police custody where he was charged with a misdemeanour offence last Thursday, he claims that security told him that he would never be allowed to enter the arena ever again.
"The two supervisors of security told me I'm done."
"I think it's very stiff. If they want to fine me I understand, if they wanted to ban me for a year ... I can deal with that, but to get banned forever? That can't happen."
(Nick Horvath/CBC)
The penalty does seem rather harsh, as throwing octopi onto the ice at Red Wings games has been a tradition in Detroit for over 60 years. But if Horvath's lifetime ban is actually upheld, that may no longer be the case.
The Red Wings are yet to officially comment on the matter.
