For hockey fans who aren’t too familiar with the Predators and hockey in Nashville, watching catfish get tossed on the ice on a nightly basis might seem like a new trend. However, it’s more than just a trend, it’s a tradition that stems back to the team’s inaugural season.
According to Bob Wolf, a former restaurant owner in Nashville, he was one of the people who lobbied to have the arena built downtown on the strip to help the community and is also the person responsible for Preds fans tossing catfish onto the ice.
Looking for a way to match Detroit’s famous octopus tossing, Wolf told the Associated Press that his inspiration came from staring at the Cumberland River.
According to the Associated Press, Wolf purchased a nine-pound catfish which he brought with him to the Predators game on January 26, 1999, against the Detroit Red Wings. Thanks to the help from some of his friends, Wolf was able to toss the giant catfish onto the ice and then run away back up the aisle without getting caught by the security guards.
"It wasn't meant to be anything but fun and answer Detroit's call to their octopus," Wolf told the Associated Press. "'Hey, we're the new Southern team on the ice, and we're going to throw a catfish on the ice.' That was kind of the attitude that day."
Nearly 20 years later and the catfish trend is at hot as ever. Fish markets out of town have started to ask catfish customers for ID when the Predators are in town, while fish markets in Nashville are practically giving away catfish for free during the Stanley Cup Final.
It’s pretty crazy how something that was supposed to be a one-time thing has turned into a tradition that has lasted nearly two decades.
The NHL used to give the team delay of game penalties whenever a catfish was tossed on the ice, but they’ve seemed to let that go throughout the course of the playoffs.
(H/T courant.com, Associated Press)
