Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman skates past a catfish that was thrown on the ice near the end of the second period against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena. Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: Bruins vs. Predators interrupted by flying catfish

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 2/17/23

Throwing catfish onto the ice has long been a tradition among Nashville Predators fans, but most of the time, the murky-water-dwelling creature is thrown pregame. Although, that wasn't the case on Thursday night.

Late in the second period of the Predators' matchup against the Boston Bruins at Bridgestone Arena, a fan tossed a catfish onto the ice during play as players whizzed past it.

Someone threw a catfish on the ice mid-play in Nashville. pic.twitter.com/FBhiIpw9lC
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 17, 2023

Throwing catfish became a tradition almost immediately upon the arrival of the Predators to Nashville as an expansion NHL franchise in 1998. Looking for their own bonding ritual, they piggybacked off fans of the Detroit Red Wings, who have a long-standing custom of hurling an octopus onto the rink.

THERE IS A GIANT CATFISH ON THE ICE IN NASHVILLE FOR GAME 6 pic.twitter.com/d0QCftDPtV
— BroBible (@BroBible) May 28, 2021

Catfish and octopi aren't the only strange things to make their way onto the ice over hockey's long and storied history. From teddy bears to plastic rats, there is seemingly no limit to the hockey fan's imagination.

Unfortunately for the Predators, the catfish toss didn't provide a spark for the club, as the Bruins shut out Nashville 5-0. Predators fans haven't had much to cheer about this season, so perhaps Thursday night's catfish was a cry for help. Following Thursday night's loss, the Predators fell to 25-21-6, 10th in the Western Conference. They remain five points in back of the Minnesota Wild (28-21-5) for the final wild-card spot.

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