No More Octopi Twirling

This one’s been covered in a few places but I figured I’d add my thoughts on it, too.

The NHL has annouced that removal of foreign objects (such as octopi) from the ice surface will now be done solely by the linesmen. This means that Red Wings’ zamboni driver Al Sobotka’s trademark twirl is effectively banned.

The rumor is that Nashville GM David Poile complained that the twirling left debris on the ice, which was dangerous. If that’s true, Ken Holland should return the favor and say that those annoying-ass whistles Predators fans use are dangerous because they could be confused for the real whistle. The two ideas have just as much merit, in my mind.