Predators fans let catfish fly as Nashville hosts first Stanley Cup Final game

Show Caption Hide Caption Why Nashville Predators fans throw catfish Since 2003, Nashville Predators fans have thrown catfish on the ice at Bridgestone Arena.

Fish fever was alive and well in Nashville on Saturday when the team hosted its first Stanley Cup Final game at Bridgestone Arena with fans tossing two catfish and a stuffed penguin onto the ice before the game's start.

The objects flew onto the ice as country star Martina McBride ended her singing of the national anthem.

One of the catfish thrown onto the ice was wrapped in a yellow "Stand With Us" rally towel the team has been handing out to fans.

Even before the pregame fish tosses, a catfish appeared on the ice. During warmups, Penguins backup goalie Marc-Andre Fleury used his stick to scoop up a catfish and bring it to his team's bench.

Penguins Marc-Andre Fleury removes a catfish from the ice during warmups before taking on the Predators in Game 6. #StanleyCupFinal pic.twitter.com/QLtOITIPfk — Matt Freed (@mattfreedpghpg) June 3, 2017

Any fish thrown onto the ice are placed in a yellow plastic trash can, taken through the Zamboni tunnel and thrown into a trash receptacle.

Bridgestone Arena employees on catfish duty expect to see as many as 20 catfish during Game 3.

After the Predators scored their first goal of the game in the second period, a yellow towel was thrown onto the ice.

Prior to puck drop, fans were told to keep their fish at bay.

"We are discouraging fans from throwing anything onto the ice other than hats during a hat trick," team spokesman Kevin Wilson said Saturday afternoon.

Wilson declined to say whether fans would face additional security measures to ensure they didn't sneak any fish into the arena.

Despite the discouragement by the team, the frenzy over the fish has taken Music City by storm.

A local fish company in Germantown said it would provide anyone with a ticket to Games 3 or 4 of the Stanley Cup Final a free catfish.

More: Free catfish for Predators fans going to Stanley Cup Final games

The offer came after fish markets in Pittsburgh said they wouldn't sell catfish to Predators fans and just days after Jacob Waddell, aka "Catfish Jake," was charged with three misdemeanors in Pittsburgh after throwing a catfish onto the ice during Game 1.

After the incident, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation weighed in on the event, which garnered more attention after Pittsburgh officials labeled the catfish an "instrument of crime."

More: Catfish as 'instruments of crime'? Not according to the TBI

Nashville police even got in on the catfish fun this week. During a Friday morning meeting, an officer jokingly asked if they were prepared for the presence of catfish.

Deputy chief 2 @MNPDNashville special events head: R we prepared if CATFISH R used as 'instruments of crime' tonight? Group laughs.@PredsNHL pic.twitter.com/RO5fK7F7vB — Natalie Neysa Alund (@nataliealund) June 2, 2017

Fans inside the arena Saturday scoffed at the "instrument of crime" label, with one person holding a sign that showed up on the Jumbotron.

Predators fans have been throwing catfish on the ice since at least 2003 in a tradition co-opted from the Detroit Red Wings’ octopus toss.

As the series turned to Nashville, there was anticipation that catfish would return en masse.

The fervor over catfish even spilled over to NBC, the network providing coverage of the entire series. Shortly before the game, the TV station posted a two-minute video on social media featuring former Chicago Blackhawks star turned analyst Jeremy Roenick. In the video, Roenick recruits Titans left tackle Taylor Lewan, who provides assistance to Roenick, who at one point jumps underwater and snags a fish with his bare hands.

Lewan has been among a group of Titans’ offensive linemen who have been shown holding catfish and chugging beer at Predators playoff games.

Even Predators mascot Gnash has gotten in on the fish frenzy by posting a video on social media of him taking a suitcase of fish from a man in a suit outside Bridgestone Arena.

Outside and inside Bridgestone Arena, fans could be seen wearing catfish costumes.

This fan said he doesn't plan on throwing himself on the ice tonight, but will if it means a win for @PredsNHL #NSHvsPIT pic.twitter.com/w6OUxvsIxf — Kirk A. Bado (@kirk_bado) June 3, 2017

Reach Joel Ebert at jebert@tennessean.com or 615-772-1681 and on Twitter @joelebert29.