The cost of two Nashville Predators tickets is kissing a catfish. That's the case for 10 fans, anyway. The first 10 fans to kiss a catfish at a kissing booth [https://x.com/PredsNHL/status/1971281059665916092] in Odie's Bar on Saturday, Sept. 27, between 1 and 2 p.m. CT., get a pair of tickets to Nashville's home-opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets]. Every fan who kisses the fish afterward will be entered to win a Predators [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators] jersey signed by the 2025-26 team. Are you picky about which catfish you smooch? Don't worry – fans can choose from one of five catfish on display, each with their own "dating profile," the team said. WAIT, WHAT? WHY A CATFISH? For hockey fans new to the NHL, the Nashville Predators have a longstanding tradition of throwing catfish onto the ice. The Tennessean [https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/nhl/predators/2018/04/12/nashville-predators-why-do-fans-throw-catfish-nhl-stanley-cup-playoffs-bridgestone-arena/508025002/] in Nashville reported that Bob Wolf, a local bar owner and musician, claims he was the first person to throw the catfish on the ice back in 1998-99, the Predators' inaugural season. It was in response to the Detroit Red Wings' half-century-long tradition of throwing an octopus on the ice. Now, the Predators don't endorse the practice of throwing a catfish on the ice, and there could be delay-of-game penalties if it disrupts a game. The People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has written to the Predators in the past [https://thehockeynews.com/news/news/catfished-the-predators-get-letter-from-peta-for-post-goal-fan-celebration], offering the team 1,000 plastic fish to be used instead. Security won't allow catfish in Bridgestone Arena, either, which is why fans try to smuggle them into the rink. The key seems to be wrapping the fish tight to the body [https://thehockeynews.com/news/news/catfish-tossing-predators-fans-reveal-how-they-smuggled-them-into-bridgestone-arena] with a lot of plastic wrap and enduring the smell and juices. A member of the Nashville Predators' ice crew picks a catfish up off the ice in a 2024 playoff game. (Steve Roberts-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/ab453d1a-e74e-41bc-888b-a3219a0ecd87.jpeg] A member of the Nashville Predators' ice crew picks a catfish up off the ice in a 2024 playoff game. (Steve Roberts-Imagn Images) WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO KISS A FISH? Bring a breath mint. Close your eyes. Lean in slowly. OK, enough of this. It's just a catfish. It won't judge you. Probably. We tried to ask a Newfoundlander for advice on how to kiss a fish. The Canadian province has a famous screech-in ceremony that involves reciting a poem, kissing a cod, answering a question and taking a shot of Screech rum to be an honorary Newfoundlander. "It's just for tourists," Olympic curler and TheCurlingNews.com [https://thecurlingnews.com/] editor George Karrys said from St. John's. So much for that. For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free [https://thehockeynews.store/products/print-subscription]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
