<P> The Legend of the Octopus is a sports tradition during Detroit Red Wings home playoff games involving dead octopuses thrown onto the ice rink . The origins of the activity go back to the 1952 playoffs, when a National Hockey League team played two best - of - seven series to capture the Stanley Cup . Having eight arms, the octopus symbolized the number of playoff wins necessary for the Red Wings to win the Stanley Cup . The practice started April 15, 1952, when Pete and Jerry Cusimano, brothers and storeowners in Detroit's Eastern Market, hurled an octopus into the rink of The Old Red Barn . The team swept the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens en route to winning the championship, as well as winning two of the next three championships . </P> <P> Since 1952, the practice has persisted with each passing year . In one 1995 game, fans threw 36 octopuses, including a specimen weighing 38 pounds (17 kg). The Red Wings' unofficial mascot is a purple octopus named Al, and during playoff runs, two of these mascots are also hung from the rafters of the Joe Louis Arena, symbolizing the 16 wins now needed to take home the Stanley Cup . The practice has become such an accepted part of the team's lore, fans have developed various techniques and "octopus etiquette" for launching the creatures onto the ice . </P>

How did throwing an octopus on the ice start