What are some of the best/worst NHL traditions?

[AlainVigneaultsGum]

the national anthem is one of the worst

just a useless waste of time

Seriously. Get rid of them.

We know what country we're in.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Worst:

- Throwing most stuff that fans throw on the ice. Be it octopi, toy rats, catfish, jerseys, waffles, whatever!!! It’s dumb, wastes time, and more than 50% of the stuff people throw doesn’t even make it into the ice.

I get why we do it for hat-tricks, but honestly hats and teddy bears (when it’s teddy bear toss night for charity) should be the only things allowed to be thrown by fans.

- National anthems (all they are good for is taking a piss/beer/munchie/smoke break)

- Standing up and banging on the glass. (Hey Jackass, you look like a doofus doing this and are blocking my view of the game. Shut the f*** up and sit the f*** down!!!)

 

[Sniper99]

Add me in to the group who thinks the national anthem is stupid

The government pays the league to sing them, that's silly

Can you prove that bullshit theory?

Seriously. Get rid of them.

We know what country we're in.

Its like 2.5 mins. go grab a drink or something the anthem sniveling is pathetic.

 

[AlainVigneaultsGum]

Can you prove that bullshit theory?


Its like 2.5 mins. go grab a drink or something the anthem sniveling is pathetic.

2.5 minutes that could be spent playing hockey.

 

[Esq]

Guys that still go without a helmet in warmups

nobody cares that much about your hair.

I don’t know — I still like the flow.

 

[The Panther]

I agree that the national-anthems at pro-sports' events needs to end.

How did it even start? I know in the 1920s a lot of collegiate athletes thought playing sports professionally was beneath them and low-grade, so were national anthems added to games to sort-of politically authenticate professional sports? Or was it just a war-time thing added and then never stopped?

What exactly does a national anthem at a pro-hockey game mean, today? I would say nothing. The players are diverse and international, for one thing. (And in most of the 1930s to 1970s games, as well, it was the US national anthem-only at games with almost 100% Canadian players.) The audience is diverse and international. No NHL team represents a country or nation-state, obviously. So... why?

I'm okay with the recent addition of land acknowledgements at some Canadian (US?) hockey games, but honestly I always find it hilarious that the first-nations' (Indian) land-acknowledgement is done, immediately followed the colonizer national anthem! It just seems ridiculous.

It's nice to pause and 'set up' the action in some formalized way, and it's nice to sing a song sometimes... But, I dunno, it's not the war-years anymore and the national anthems should go.

 

[Cashville]

Putting personal feelings aside on Bettman's tenure, he really should delegate the Stanley Cup hand-off to a more generally-liked (or innocuous) representative. Him getting booed every year just adds this awkward dynamic to an otherwise magical moment.

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

Adjacent to the anthems, I also dislike the cop/soldier worship that some opening ceremonies have although that really isn't too common so idk if it's a tradition or just me rolling my eyes. I've always thought land acknowledgements were tacky too.

One of my favourite traditions is grabbing the puck outta the net for milestone goals or points. The way the team rallies around a guy about to set a record is wholesome.

Putting personal feelings aside on Bettman's tenure, he really should delegate the Stanley Cup hand-off to a more generally-liked (or innocuous) representative. Him getting booed every year just adds this awkward dynamic to an otherwise magical moment.

Booing Bettman is a tradition in itself tbh

 

[MikeyMike01]

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.

What a sorry world we’ve created, where this is a common opinion.

 

[Ford Prefect]

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.

That was a call back to Scott Mellanby. Legend has it that he killed a rat in the locker room with his stick and proceeded to core two goals that night with that stick. And so a ritual was born.

 

[amnesiac]

What a sorry world we’ve created, where this is a common opinion.

same to you and your opinion. See how that works?

 

[God]

Singing the anthem before every game is just virtue signalling. If you pay your taxes, if you're a good neighbour, if you're well involved in your community, etc., then you're probably a decent Canadian/American. We don't need a song to affirm that.

 

[kaiser matias]

What a sorry world we’ve created, where this is a common opinion.

It could be like India, where they play it before every movie as well.

In fact why isn't the anthem played before everything always? Why limit it to sports only?

 

[Laus723]

That was a call back to Scott Mellanby. Legend has it that he killed a rat in the locker room with his stick and proceeded to core two goals that night with that stick. And so a ritual was born.

Long time Panther fan, I know the story well. Glad the tradition is still being carried on.

Singing the anthem before every game is just virtue signalling. If you pay your taxes, if you're a good neighbour, if you're well involved in your community, etc., then you're probably a decent Canadian/American. We don't need a song to affirm that.

I’ll happily stand and virtue signal tf outta the anthem

 

[Hockeyfan2390]

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.

When the heck did someone manage to sneak a live octopus into a hockey game?

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Booing Bettman is old. Like, I get he's not liked and he does a good job being the "villian" at the draft but these days I feel the Booing is just for the sake of booing without understanding why he's being booed. Just let it die.

Nah Bettman is a legit piece of shit that panders to the boys club and has no f***ing spine. He's a pathetic weasel that refuses to let the job go and sticks around like some skin tag you want to remove but keep forgetting and then realize oh crap it's still there. He deserves to get booed and I hope they start throwing expired veggies and used diapers at him.

 

[Yozhik v tumane]

When the heck did someone manage to sneak a live octopus into a hockey game?

I assume they got it from the concession stands, although I wouldn’t dare to imagine the price of NHL arena fresh live octopi, doling out the cash for it only to hurl it away.

 

[Razamanaz]

Toronto Maple Leafs winning ... nada when it really matters. And that year in and year out.True story.

And yes; adding Ekman-Larsson to their backbone (and power play unit what it seems) can not help. Help!

Otherwise I think NHL can easy skip the national anthem - like they did years ago in Sweden (SHL) - but not the respect ceremony for the ol' soldiers that fought the wars for Christ sake!

In Sweden they have not been in war in about 200 years or so so no veterans even to be found there - but in Finland they could honour the veterans still in life way more, me thinx.

Turn a new leaf NHL.

Skip the anthems.

 

[Moose Head]

It could be like India, where they play it before every movie as well.

In fact why isn't the anthem played before everything always? Why limit it to sports only?

I actually remember anthems being played before movies. Think it stopped sometime in the 80’s.

 

[hangman005]

The new tradition of Vegas winning the cup every 6 years will the best one ever.

 

[Satan]

Best: no bucky in warmup

 

[Razamanaz]

Beggars can't be choosers, remember.

Anthems are for winners - not losers.

So, not for all.

Rememer that NHL.

Of course National anthems must be played around the World as a patriotic symbol before games. But only the winner get to hear it afterwards. Remember.
As a fine tradition. Otherwise the anthem will lost some of it importance.

 

[BFLO]

Worst:
NYR goal song and the fans oooohhaaahhooooohhing along with it.

Fan-bases that have a word they shout along with the Anthem singing. Example: VGK fans all screaming "NIGHT" along with the star spangled banner, because they are the "Knights". WPG screaming "TRUE NORTH", etc

 

[DieSendungmitderMaus]

Count me in as saying the anthem playing is stupid and pointless, but you can just mute the TV for a few minutes and avoid them. If I were going to games or they did that shit over here, it'd shoot up my rankings.

It is part of the worst "tradition" though, namely puck drop always being 15-20 minutes after the advertised game start, but never predictably enough to just tune in later. Not sure if that's just a TV scam but it's Bush league.

OTOH throwing hats for hat tricks is legitimately fantastic and I applaud North Americans for being so willing to dump their hats on the ice. You'd never see that back in Europe.

 

[thegazelle]

Best 1 - handshake line in the playoffs. This really differentiates hockey from other sports in terms of class and sportsmanship, and even despite a hard fought, tough series, players will shake hands with their opponents

Best 2 - commemoration of war vets

Worst 1 - anthem singers that get the fans to sing the bulk of the anthem

Worst 2 - inclusion of the "we are sitting on indigenous land" statements