Over the years, we've seen fans of various teams pull out all the stops in an effort to display their fandom. Sometimes that requires items to be thrown on the ice, while other times it simply means putting away the razor.
Fans in Florida haven't had a lot to cheer about in recent history, as they watched their Panthers undergo a lengthy playoff drought. However, with Florida back on the big stage, enthusiasm has returned to the Sunshine State.
With that enthusiasm comes the return of a longstanding tradition, the "Rat Trick."
The "Rat Trick" came about during the 1995-96 season, when the Panthers advanced all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. That season, Scott Mellanby killed a rat in the locker room prior to the team's home opener with his stick, then scored two goals with the same stick. Panthers fans responded by throwing plastic rats onto the ice to celebrate goals, a tradition that has returned this postseason.
Detroit, meanwhile, has the "Legend of the Octopus." That tradition is much older, dating back to the 1952 playoffs, when winning the Stanley Cup required winning two best-of-seven series. Since eight wins were required to capture Lord Stanley, the octopus — which has eight arms — became a symbol. The process of actually heaving an octopus onto the ice in Detroit started that same season.
Then, of course, there's Vancouver's "Towel Power," which involves fans waving rally towels at home games. A number of teams have followed in the Canucks' footsteps, but Vancouver is where it became hip.
If that's not enough for you, how about growing a playoff beard? We've seen over the years that doing so isn't just limited to the players on the ice.
So, which tradition do you think is the funnest and most unique? In other words, which is the best?
Photo via Facebook/Rat Trick.
