First octopus thrown on ice at Little Caesars Arena

Construction worker finds octopus on new arena's ice

DETROIT – When the new Little Caesars Arena opens in Downtown Detroit, there will be countless firsts, including the Red Wings' first goal and the Pistons' first basket.

But one first with a unique tie to the city of Detroit has already happened at the new arena, as an octopus was thrown on the ice Thursday and found by construction workers.

One of the workers inside the arena said he felt like the moment needed to be documented, so he took a video holding the first octopus to test the Little Caesars Arena ice rink.

Red Wings fans know when an octopus falls on the ice, Al Sobotka, the building operations manager for Olympia Entertainment, usually picks it up and swings it around his head. When the construction worker picked up the octopus, that's exactly what he did.

It's a step in the christening of the Red Wings' new home as work continues and excitement grows with each milestone.

You can see video of the construction worker with the octopus in Jamie Edmonds' story posted above.


About the Authors

Jamie anchors sports coverage on Local 4 News Saturdays at 6 & 11 p.m. and Sunday at 6 p.m., in addition to hosting Sports Final Edition.

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.

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