His advice was always backed up by warning stickers on the zamboni, along with a few gory stories about someone losing a finger or two. In december 1979, a detroit tradition began when the red wings took the ice for the first time at their new riverfront home, joe louis arena. This is game six of the first round in the stanley cup playoffs. Gear daddies, the zamboni song, bonus track from billys live bait. Would have been fun to see legendary zamboni man al sobotka twirl an octopus one more time. Arena manager and zamboni driver al sobotka ceremoniously scoops them. Red wings zamboni legend al sobotka ready for his new octopus. Out of that context, though, the octopus is just a slimy, smelly mollusk, and thursday night, it was a reminder of just how bad. The nhl has threatened to fine the red wings if zamboni driver al sobotka picks up octopi on the ice and twirls them, following a. You can get out of the environment by restarting your shell or calling deactivate. Red wings zamboni legend al sobotka ready for his new octopus office. In this years playoff innovation, some oilers fans threw hunks of prime alberta beef onto the ice in response. Lol surprise confetti pop series 3 sloth fingerling bus driver with toy genie. The man behind the octopus twirl reflects on his legacy at this.
Al sobotka, the zamboni driver at joe louis arena in detroit, twirling an. Since then, fans throw an octopus onto the ice for. Nov 04, 2011 zamboni driver al sobotka twirls it over his head. Zamboni driver al sobotka picks it up and twirls it for the crowd to see. Apr 26, 2008 after an octopus was thrown on the ice before the game.
Sobotka is known mostly for driving the zamboni during detroit red wings. Those lyrics from the gear daddies ode to the zamboni ice resurfacing machine are fitting for al sobotka, keeper of the ice at joe louis arena, home of the detroit red wings. There were enough special moments to make sundays game beyond memorable, with the 41 victory new jersey making the final result. Alberta man pulls up to tim hortons drivethru in his zamboni. The initial installment of this bit utilized s mascot page which, much to the chagrin of yours truly, appears to have not been updated since sidney crosby started sprouting pubes wait, wasnt that just last week.
His responsibilities include daytoday operations at both joe louis arena and cobo arena. You would most likely be an engineer for the arena which operates the dasher board system, the refrigeration unit, set up and other duties. Secrets of the zamboni driver it sure looks like a fun job. Machine line drawings for reference and vinyl ad wraps. Sam the zamboni man by james stevenson young matt comes to visit his grandfather, a zamboni driver, in this charming intergenerational tale. Lol surprise confetti pop series 3 sloth fingerling bus driver. This is a list of current and former national hockey league mascots, sorted alphabetically. List of nhl mascots introduced in 1983, calgarys harvey the hound was the nhls first mascot. Find contacts direct phone number, email address, work history, and more. Detroit red wings zamboni driver al sobotka swings an octopus do the delight of the fans at the start of the anaheim ducks game in detroit on friday may 10, 20.
May 25, 2011 being a zamboni driver by bassman2112 may 25, 2011 24 comments first off, id really like to thank everyone who read my previous blog post, it was incredibly interesting to read how many different people have been affected by depression in some way and the support was so very appreciated. This will let you put all of zambonis dependencies in a. Since then, fans throw an octopus onto the ice for good luck. In one game in the 1995 playoffs, fans threw fortyfive onto the ice. Octopus tossing is officially proscribed, but arena superintendent al sobotka tacitly encourages it by twirling octopuses over his head as he chugs off the ice after cleaning them up. May 20, 2007 al sobotka, the zamboni driver at joe louis arena in detroit, twirling an octopus, a ritual at home playoff games. Setup a virtualenv virtualenvis a tool to create isolated python environments. Al sobotka born october 16, 1953 is the building operations manager for olympia entertainment. The stadium has spawned such personalities as al the zamboni driver, who twirls octopuses overhead, the knitting lady, the guy in the orange hat, and mo cheese. She told the guys that it was the most canadian thing shes ever seen so. Download pdf history of hockeytown free online new.
View al sobotkas business profile as maintenance manager jla at olympia entertainment inc. News johan franzens hat trick lifts red wings past avalanche. Al the octopus is the eightlegged mascot of the detroit red wings. They are called ice technicians, and even though it looks like a joyride to wheel around a rink in a giant icemaking machine, its actually a very specialized task. Red wings zamboni driver al sobotka recalls memories about joe. In the 1995 playoffs, fans threw fiftyfour onto the ice. Zamboni driver al sobotka twirls an octopus that was thrown on the ice during a. Al sobotka, the joe louis arena head ice manager and one of the two zamboni drivers, is the person who retrieves the thrown octopuses from the. Al sobotka has been twirling octopuses after playoff goals since 1991. Introduced in 1983, calgarys harvey the hound was t.
After an octopus was thrown on the ice before the game. The legend of the octopus tradition, started on april 15, 1952 when two brothers, pete and jerry cusimano who owned a fish market decided to throw an octopus onto the ice at olympia stadium with the eight tentacles of the octopus. Al sobotka twirls the first octopus of the season thrown during the national anthem before the red wings season opening hockey game against the maple leafs on friday. The reason given for the potential fine is that matter flies off the octopus and gets on the ice when he does it. The legend of the octopus tradition, started on april 15, 1952 when two brothers, pete and. To get back into the zamboni environment later, type. Will the lol surprise dolls get to school on time when a sloth fingerling is their bus driver. The first ice resurfacer was developed by american inventor and engineer frank zamboni in 1949 in the city of paramount, california.
When the octopus was tossed onto the ice before game 1, a linesman. Peta offers red wings fans fake octopuses to throw instead of. The octopus twirl is here to stay, if sobotka has anything to say about it. Apr 06, 2017 today is thursday, april 6, 2017, and weve learned a physician who was struck by a car while she got out on interstate 96 to help another crash victim has died. Al is named after arena manager and zamboni driver al sobotka, who picks up the octopuses and twirls. She told the guys that it was the most canadian thing shes ever seen so she figured. Sobotka, a lifelong hockey fan, began working at the arena when he was in high school. Being a zamboni driver by bassman2112 may 25, 2011 24 comments first off, id really like to thank everyone who read my previous blog post, it was incredibly interesting to read how many different people have been affected by depression in some way and the support was so very appreciated. Now if you work at an nhl arena, you wouldnt be just the zamboni driver. Nelson corporan has been driving the zamboni on the rink at rockefeller center for 22 years, keeping the ice smooth and clean for the steady stream of skaters.
List of nhl mascots project gutenberg selfpublishing. Danischewski, a rink operator and zamboni driver for 26 years, first made certain i was familiar with all the safety checks and system controls. Matt has never seen a hockey game or a zamboni and when his grandfather takes him to see his first game his gets to see how important his grandfather is. Al the octopus is the octopus mascot of the detroit red wings. Red wings zamboni driver al sobotka recalls memories about joe louis. Company profile, information and contact info for zamboni, frank j. Arena manager and zamboni driver al sobotka ceremoniously scoops them up and whirls them over his head, and play continues. Al the zamboni driver, who twirls octopuses overhead. Zamboni driver, octopus twirler, subject of brett hulls. Building manager al sobotka is ready to say goodbye to joe louis arena after decades of memories and swinging octopi. Wrapping his arms around the red wings the new york times. In 1952, when east side fish merchants pete and jerry cusimano threw a real octopus onto the olympia arena ice, the eight legs represented the eight victories needed to secure a stanley cup in those sixteam days. Sobotka is known mostly for driving the zamboni during. Dec 22, 2016 alberta man pulls up to tim hortons drivethru in his zamboni.
Red wings zamboni legend al sobotka ready for his new. While watching game 1 of the detroit red wings firstround playoff. List of nhl mascots wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. Johan franzens hat trick lifts red wings past avalanche. If at any point you realize you forgot to clone with the recursive.
Secrets of the zamboni driver it sure looks like a fun job, but to detroits al sobotka his lifes work is serious business. Al sobotka, the zamboni driver at joe louis arena in detroit, twirling an octopus, a ritual at home playoff games. His responsibilities include daytoday operations at little caesars arena. Al sobotka twirls an octopus that was thrown on the ice during a stoppage of play in an nhl game between the detroit red wings and the new jersey devils at joe louis arena on april 9, 2017 in detroit. Al sobotka born october 16, 1953 is the building operations manager for olympia. Forty years after the miracle on ice, a 42yearold zamboni driver carved out a miraculous chapter in nhl history. Zamboni driver steps in as emergency goalie, helps carolina. Today is thursday, april 6, 2017, and weve learned a physician who was struck by a car while she got out on interstate 96 to help another crash victim has died. Although the local tradition of tossing an octopus on the ice during the playoffs started in 1952, al sobotka, the red wings rink manager, zamboni driver, and chief cephalopod wrangler, has been twirling dead, boiled, octopi tossed on the ice by fans since 1991.
Al sobotka business profile olympia entertainment inc. Detroit the muleled detroit red wings are kicking the colorado avalanche when theyre down. Apr 12, 2008 ap file photoal sobotka, the zamboni driver at joe louis arena in detroit, twirls an octopus during a red wings playoff game. The joe also hosted a number of unforgettable nonhockey events, from ronald reagans nomination at the 1980 republican convention, to the start of princes purple rain tour in 1984, to. Alberta man pulls up to tim hortons drivethru in his. We sat down with this veteran employee, who is originally from the dominican republic, for his take on the best of the season at rock center, and a behindthescenes look at what goes into making everyones favorite ice. Welcome to another episode of myfos recurring feature, nhl mascots. He was also involved in the operations of cobo arena until olympia entertainment relinquished management in 2011 and joe louis arena until it closed for good in 2017. Sobotka is known mostly for driving the zamboni during detroit red wings games for the past 30 years and for collecting the octopuses thrown on the ice during red wings. Al sobotka, red wings icon, says farewell to joe louis arena.
Dec 01, 2019 red wings zamboni he cannot be blamed if, as it tries to break free from als grasp, the octopus lifts als arm and twirls itself in the air. Vintage ads since frank zambonis introduction of the worlds first selfpropelled ice resurfacing machine in 1949, his business naturally began to grow as more people became aware of his innovative product. Ap file photoal sobotka, the zamboni driver at joe louis arena in detroit, twirls an octopus during a red wings playoff game. Anyhoo, i will now exploit a much more, ahem, reliable. Building manager al sobotka is ready to say goodbye to joe louis arena after decades of. An ice resurfacer is a vehicle or handpushed device used to clean and smooth the surface of a sheet of ice, usually in an ice rink. Peta offers red wings fans fake octopuses to throw instead. World heritage encyclopedia, the aggregation of the largest online encyclopedias available, and the most definitive collection ever assembled. As such, an ice resurfacer is often referred to as a zamboni regardless of brand or manufacturer. Oct 05, 2017 al sobotka twirls an octopus that was thrown on the ice during a stoppage of play in an nhl game between the detroit red wings and the new jersey devils at joe louis arena on april 9, 2017 in detroit.
Al sobotka drives red wings zamboni down woodward ave photos from wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Red wings zamboni he cannot be blamed if, as it tries to break free from als grasp, the octopus lifts als arm and twirls itself in the air. Find highquality zamboni driver stock photos and editorial news pictures. Out of that context, though, the octopus is just a slimy, smelly mollusk, and thursday night, it was a reminder of just how bad things stink for the wings right now. His advice was always backed up by warning stickers on the zamboni, along with a few gory stories about someone.
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