Hockey Trivia, Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs say that the name was chosen in honor of the Maple Leaf Regiment from World War I. Because the regiment is a proper noun, its plural is Maple Leafs (not Maple Leaves). Initial reports were that the team's colors would be red and white, but the Leafs wore white sweaters with a green maple leaf for their first game on February 17, 1927. The next season, the Leafs appeared for the first time in the blue and white sweaters they have worn ever since. The Maple Leafs say that blue represents the Canadian skies and white represents snow, but it also followed the Toronto sports tradition of using blue as the primary color, which started with the Toronto Argonauts in 1873 and the University of Toronto Varsity Blues in 1877.

Throwing Things

Fans at the University of Pennsylvania throw toast on the football field after the third quarter because the school banned liquor, which was formerly used to toast the team. The students took the toast literally and now throw real toast.

This is much better than the University of New Hampshire fans, who throw a fish on the ice during school hockey games. Also fishy, during 2011, fans of the Nashville Predators threw catfish on the ice.

Speaking of hockey, fans in Detroit have a tradition of throwing an octopus on the ice during Detroit Red Wings home playoff games. It began during the 1952 playoffs, when a National Hockey League team played two best-of-seven series to capture the Stanley Cup. The octopus, with eight arms, symbolized the number of playoff wins necessary for the Red Wings to win the Stanley Cup. Brothers Pete and Jerry Cusimano hurled an octopus into the rink. The team swept the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens en route to winning the championship.

Florida Panthers fans littered the ice with plastic rats during face-offs and regular play during Game 5 of their 2012 playoff series.

Other tosses, that seem mild by comparison, include throwing flowers for figure skaters, or tossing hats when a hockey player makes a hat trick.

What's in a Name, Stanley Cup

March 1894 play-off competition for the coveted hockey award known as Lord Stanley’s Cup began. Montreal and Ottawa played for the first championship honors. Montreal took home the trophy.

The original trophy was purchased by Sir Frederick Arthur Stanley, Lord Stanley of Preston. He then donated it to the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association.

In 1926, the playoff format took the order that remains in place today and the National Hockey League has been the permanent forum.

The teams with the most Stanley Cup titles since 1927 include the Detroit Red Wings (9) and Toronto Maple Leafs (11), with the Montreal Canadiens (24). Larry Robinson holds the record for playing in the most Stanley Cup games (203 for Montreal and 24 for the LA Kings).

The Stanley Cup competition remains the oldest in professional sports in North America.