Should the octopus draw a penalty??

Question

The NHL instituted a rule banning the Florida Panthers from throwing their plastic rats on the ice after crucial goals making it a delay of game penalty against the Panthers if fans were to do it. The reasoning was it delayed the game and it took awhile to clean them up.
Why should this not apply to Detroit fans as well? Seems there is some double standard going on there. Granted, the rats took longer to clean up BUT the octupus tossing still DELAYS THE GAME and it takes time to clean them up. Fans aren't even supposed to be bringing them in but obviously they (security) are turning a blind eye. Also, buddy that comes out picks it up and starts waving it around, firing up the crowd.
I personally don't care if they allow it or not BUT to ban some teams and not others does irk me.

Answer 1

Thats the problem with alot of you people. Hockey is a game of traditions, but everyone wants to change them. People cant appreciate things for what they are, they only want to whine and complain about it, saying its not fair. The rule was if it becomes a distraction, and ties up the game continually, they can give the home team a delay of game penalty. But they first, make an announcement, over the PA, telling the fans, that if they dont stop, it will result in a penalty. Since the rule went into effect, I dont ever recall seeing it happen. So, quit your girly whining, and watch the games. You done hear the players on either team complaining, because it may get them another 30 seconds to get their wind.

Answer 2

No more so than the catfish in Nashville, the shark (how did someone "sneak" a shark into the arena?) or even the hats for a hattrick. The game has seen far to many hockey traditions done away with, the Wing fans started this tradition back in the 50's and I see no reason to continue killing off traditions in hockey. Besides arent there enough penalties being called already for actual on the ice infractions? As for firing up the crowd...doesnt every home player want their fans fired up? We cant ask fans to sit on their hands because people get uptight about something as silly as an octopi ending up on the ice...can we? If fans cant toss octopi, sharks, catfish or whatever without costing the home team a delay then the NHL also would need to ban hat throwing for every hattrick...sounds ridiculous to be so extreme. The rat throwing went to the extreme with the organization actually encouraging and promoting (they sold plastic rats at the concession stands) and literally 1,000's of them would get tossed on the ice creating a several minute delay. Only 2 or 3 octopi (or sharks...etc. etc.) hit the ice which delays the game maybe a minute tops. Killing hockey tradition over a minute delay? Makes no sense!

Answer 3

The NHL did not ban the Nashville fans from throwing catfish on the ice.

At the last Sharks home game someone threw a REAL shark on the ice.

It's not that they are showing favoritism to the Wings, it's that the Wings fans are the only ones that do it.

They banned the plastic rats in Miami because hundreds were being thrown at one time.

In Detroit it's one or two octopi that is being thrown.

I can remember one game Patrick Roy crawling inside his net so he would not be hit by all the rats that were being thrown.

It only takes a few minutes to pick up one octupus but takes quite sometime to pick up hundreds of plastic rats.

What I want to know is how the fans get the octopi in there!!!

I'm not saying this makes it okay to throw the octopus on the ice I'm just saying there's a big difference between one octopus and hundreds on rats raining down on the ice.

Answer 4

No it shouldnt be a penalty. For one thing in florida they were throwing thousands of those things on the ice, in detroit its only 4 or 5. And you cant control what the fans do so how can you give a team a penalty for it? For those of you saying its been called delay of game it has never been.

Answer 5

I dont think it should be a penalty, but if it were, how would they even enforce it? Would the home team automatically get the penalty? They throw octopus at away games to, so that wouldn't work. You know if they automatically gave the Wings the penalties that opposing fans would throw them just to help their teams. So even if it should be a penalty, there isn't any real efficient way to enforce it.

Answer 6

There is a difference between one or two objects and 2,000 rats.

The Rats were banned because they got completely out of control. I don't see a problem with throwing one or two octopi... although i do wish they would stop using real ones.

If someone has to be punished then kick out fans that throw stuff on the ice, don't penalize the team.

Answer 7

I agree it SHOULD be a penalty. Actually I thought the rule was NOTHING was allowed to be thrown on the ice EXCEPT hats after a hat trick or it would be a Delay of Game penalty. Although to be fair the octopus doesn't draw other teams being silly/stupid about it. Like throwing rat traps on the ice, or throwing cheese on the ice.

Answer 8

It should and it was well enforced when the initial rule came out in 1996 (thank you very much Florida). But maybe the refs are a being a bit lenient because it's just one or two at one point in the game, not like it was in '96 when there was about a dozen every goal.

Answer 9

Nashville fans throw catfish, and the sharks fans threw a shark during the last game. Every team has their thing. I believe that the standard procedure is that the fans are given a warning and the home team is penalized if it happens again.

Answer 10

It could be a penalty, but at least it was just a few real octopuses and some stuffed ones, and it was during a stoppage in play.