Red Wings have not qualified for the playoffs since ditching the eight-limbed creature
For the first time since its disappearance from Joe Louis Arena when the Detroit Red Wings moved to Little Caesars Arena, one of the two identical props known as Al the Octopus has re-emerged from the depths in a Facebook Marketplace listing, which has since been taken down.
The eight-limbed props served as Detroit’s unofficial mascots since its creation in 1995, and they were the only non-costumed mascots in the NHL. It was seen in the online listing with six of its eight limbs — octopuses technically have six arms and two legs — disassembled in a moving truck and was listed for $30,000.
It was a significant markup on the original $7,700 that the Red Wings auctioned one of them for when the Red Wings moved to their new arena in 2017.
Hockey fans are familiar with the octopus for its role in many memorable Red Wings playoff runs through the 1990s and 2000s. Longtime Zamboni driver Al Sobotka became famous for swinging an octopus on the ice before playoff games to rile up the Detroit faithful.
The origins of this strange and fishy tradition go all the way back to the 1952 Stanley Cup Final, when the Red Wings required one more win against the Montreal Canadiens to hoist the Cup.
That’s when brothers and owners of a fish market, Pete and Jerry Cusimano, threw an octopus onto the ice before the game. The eight limbs of the sea creature were meant to symbolize the eight playoff wins it took to win the Stanley Cup at the time. Detroit was already 7-0 in that post-season, and sure enough, they won again that night to become the first team in NHL history to win the Cup with an undefeated playoff record.
Thus, the ‘Legend of the Octopus’ was born.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1lZxWzDmCo[/embed]
Octopus-throwing became a staple of Red Wings playoff games, and although the tradition went dormant in the 1970s and 1980s in the Wings’ bottom-feeding seasons, it quickly rose again with the Cup-contending years of the 1990s.
The good omen was memorialized in 1995 when two identical octopus mascots were hung from the rafters of Joe Louis Arena, symbolizing the 16 wins now needed to win the Stanley Cup. The mascot was officially named Al after Sobotka, who was already known for twirling the sea creatures from the Zamboni entrance.
Like magic, the Red Wings went on to win back-to-back Cups in 1996 and 1997.
Spin-offs of the Red Wings’ antics were copied around the league, such as the Nashville Predators throwing catfish on their rink, and the San Jose Sharks throwing (you guessed it) sharks on the ice.
During the 2008 Stanley Cup Final between Detroit and the Pittsburgh Penguins, the octopus-throwing became so crazed that Pittsburgh seafood wholesalers required identification from customers to purchase octopuses, refusing to sell to buyers from Michigan.
Detroit last qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2016, which was Al’s last appearance above the ice, and octopus-launching has become scarcer too.
It didn’t help that in recent years the NHL has cracked down on the practice, often resulting in fan ejections and fines.
And with the construction of the brand-new Little Caesars Arena completed in 2017, Al didn’t make the cut for the big move from the Joe. Since then, it is worth noting, the Red Wings have missed the playoffs.
Maybe the team should buy it back.