Brad Paisley Goes (Cat)Fishin’ at Stanley Cup Final Game 6
Brad Paisley got in on the Nashville Predators fan tradition of tossing a catfish on the ice during Game 6 of the 2017 Stanley Cup Final at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Sunday night (June 11). He didn't actually launch it onto the ice, but during the game, the country star was spotted waving around a large catfish in one of the arena's suites.
"I fished all morning to get that," Paisley joked, according to the Tennesean. "That was a big catfish, by the way."
In reality, Paisley acquired the catfish from one of the Nashville Predators' team owners, and was happy to play into a longstanding Smashville tradition.
The first catfish hit the ice in Nashville in 2002, when the Preds played against the Detroit Red Wings, a team with a time-honored tradition of tossing an octopus on the ice for good luck; a Detroit fan started that tradition in 1952, with the animal's eight arms signifying the eight wins it would take to win the Stanley Cup. In the same vein, Vancouver Canucks fans toss salmon, and Florida Panthers supporters chuck plastic rats into the arena.
After his appearance at Game 6, Paisley made his way from Bridgestone Arena to Nissan Stadium, to play the closing night of the 2017 CMA Music Festival. Unfortunately, the Predators lost Sunday night's game 1-0 to the Pittsburgh Penguins, giving the Pens the Stanley Cup and ending the 2016-2017 NHL season.
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