What are some of the best/worst NHL traditions?

[Snap]

The Duclair thread where he cut his hair to play on the Islanders got me thinking about NHL traditions. Obviously the Lou Lamoriello clean shaven rule this day and age is ridiculous and needs to be scrapped (Considering the tradition of playoff beards originated with the Islanders in the 1980s). Wondering what you all think are good traditions that should be kept, and what needs to be retired.

Off the top of my head the one I liked the most is the rookie lap, sending a rookie in their first NHL game out before the team and let them do a solo skate around the ice. They work their whole lives for that feel good moment and it seems deserved.

Traditions id look to get rid of are obviously Lou's clean shaven one above, Im also not a fan of stuff getting tossed on the ice (Nashville catfish, Detroit octopus).

And before someone mentions it, yes... the Leafs golfing in April

Click to read more...

 

[Laus723]

Best: Panthers fans tossing rats on the ice after wins. It’s from a fun early year where we went to the Finals.

Worst: chanting a goalie’s name and saying it’s all his fault after a goal if you’re not Nashville. Not a big fan of them doing it, but I’ve seen other teams’ fans doing it. That’s their thing.

 

[amnesiac]

Best: handing the Cup to the team captain (and not an owner)

Worst: singing of the national anthems

 

[Master P]

Best:
Octopus toss
Rookie Lap
Worst:
Since someone already mentioned Anthems I'll have to go with...
That stupid ass horn in Pitt. Honk Honk Honk

 

[DuckTech]

Best:
Handshake at the end of each playoff series.

Worst:
Raising useless banners.

 

[PavelBure10]

Canucks losing 0-3 in Stanley Cup finals

 

[Dirty Dan]

Best:
Octopus toss
Rookie Lap
Worst:
Since someone already mentioned Anthems I'll have to go with...
That stupid ass horn in Pitt. Honk Honk Honk

Man I love that Horn. Geno against Tampa is always classic

 

[Nineteen67]

Best: Panthers fans tossing rats on the ice after wins. It’s from a fun early year where we went to the Finals.

Worst: chanting a goalie’s name and saying it’s all his fault after a goal if you’re not Nashville. Not a big fan of them doing it, but I’ve seen other teams’ fans doing it. That’s their thing.

I love it. It’s got college football feel to it.

 

[DaveG]

Best: handing the Cup to the team captain (and not an owner)

Worst: singing of the national anthems

Absolutely. Hockey and Soccer are the only two sports that seem to get this one right.

Worst: throwing stuff on the ice when you're a visiting fan. DGAF if you do the catfish or octopus in your own arena, but if you do it in another teams stadium you should be banned from that stadium.

Best one that hasn't been taken: fans singing in the third, especially when it's unique to that team (IE: Country Roads in St Louis, Wagon Wheel in Carolina, etc).

 

[MasterofGrond]

Best: Panthers fans tossing rats on the ice after wins. It’s from a fun early year where we went to the Finals.

Worst: chanting a goalie’s name and saying it’s all his fault after a goal if you’re not Nashville. Not a big fan of them doing it, but I’ve seen other teams’ fans doing it. That’s their thing.

I’ve got bad news for you if you think Nashville originated that particular cheer.

 

[Laus723]

I’ve got bad news for you if you think Nashville originated that particular cheer.

Bad news? Lol, why’s that “bad news?” It’s dumb, imo, but also where I first heard it.

 

[MasterofGrond]

Bad news? Lol, why’s that “bad news?” It’s dumb, imo, but also where I first heard it.

Bad news because if the argument is “other teams shouldn’t do this, they stole it from Nashville” that doesn’t hold up as well if the cheer literally predates the birth of the Predators franchise.

 

[Master P]

Man I love that Horn. Geno against Tampa is always classic

The goal horn isn't what I'm talking about.

Its the one they use for chants during play.

This is the best example I could find.

 

[Reality Czech]

Best:
Octopus toss
Rookie Lap
Worst:
Since someone already mentioned Anthems I'll have to go with...
That stupid ass horn in Pitt. Honk Honk Honk

The Octopus toss is one of the worst, especially the idiots who threw a live one on the ice.

I do agree the rookie lap is cool and I am a fan of the teams giving funny hats to the best player of the game to wear in postgame interviews.

 

[Laus723]

Bad news because if the argument is “other teams shouldn’t do this, they stole it from Nashville” that doesn’t hold up as well if the cheer literally predates the birth of the Predators franchise.

Fair enough, but who started “(goalie name, goalie name) it’s all your fault, it’s all your fault?” I’ve never heard anyone else do that until they did.

 

[RANDOMH3RO]

I think throwing hats for a hat trick is great.

Touching or not touching the conference trophies is one of my least favourite. Little too superstitious for me.

 

[DaveG]

Fair enough, but who started “(goalie name, goalie name) it’s all your fault, it’s all your fault?” I’ve never heard anyone else do that until they did.

it was an NCAA thing for a LONG time before the Preds joined the league. Probably one of the more PC chants adopted from that level.

 

[Clint Eastwood]

Bruins fan banner captain for playoff games is great!

 

[WatchfulElm]

Worst :

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

A thread like this really reminds me how glad I am that hockey isn’t chalked full of “unwritten rules” like baseball. MLB has probably hundreds of awful “traditions” just based off of those.

As others have said, I love the handshakes and I love the tradition of handing the Cup to a Captain. Would really love if the photo shoot with the commissioner was eliminated but I’ll deal with it.

Many teams do this, but I hate the direct or indirect comparisons of hockey players/games to wars/soldiers. Sure, they do put their bodies on the line but this ain’t fighting for your country or people. It’s a very entertaining game.

That reminds me that I love when both fans and players join in on applauding veterans acknowledged during games. Would love if something like that completely replaced and eliminated the now cliche pre-game anthems.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

Best: handing the Cup to the team captain (and not an owner)

Worst: singing of the national anthems

whats so bad about that? because alot of guys who play in the NHL arent Canadian or American?
Im not trying to be a dick or anything like that but is it just North American sports teams that do this? like in other sports overseas FIFA, Cricket, KHL do they not sing the National Anthem of the Country play for in or against?

 

[amnesiac]

whats so bad about that? because alot of guys who play in the NHL arent Canadian or American?
Im not trying to be a dick or anything like that but is it just North American sports teams that do this? like in other sports overseas FIFA, Cricket, KHL do they not sing the National Anthem of the Country play for in or against?

On top of 30% of the league not being Canadian/American, I just dont see the point. Its so repetitive to do it before EVERY single game. Not a big fan of patriotism either.

I mean this isnt the Olympics, no team is representing a nation.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

On top of 30% of the league not being Canadian/American, I just dont see the point. Its so repetitive to do it before EVERY single game. Not a big fan of patriotism either.

I mean this isnt the Olympics, no team is representing a nation.

teams like to represent their country. but is this just a North American thing? if KHL or other sports do this too then Canadians and Americans would have to listen to their National Anthem. nothing wrong with having to stand and show respect to the Country before the games start

 

[Chuck Norris Trophy]

All the hazing bullshit is f***ing idiotic. Shaving one´s genital hair and sticking stuff in their body holes, all that bullshit.

 

[Voight]

I dont know if I'd call the clean shaven thing a tradition. Its a rule. (if you're playing for a team ran by Lamoriello)