A fish tale

How catfish toss came to be a thing for the Predators

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Detroit Red Wings fans have their octopi. The Panthers’ faithful in Florida had the “rat trick.”

Nashville? The Predators have catfish, the Southern staple that has become a beloved badge of honor fans delight in throwing onto the ice for good luck.

Who started Music City’s slippery tradition? This fish tale stretches from the home of one of the Original Six NHL franchises to what once was one of Nashville’s seediest neighborhoods a generation ago, following the long and twisting path of a man who has been a country music drummer, disc jockey, chef and restaurant owner. And, as he tells it, Nashville’s original catfish chucker.

That man is Bob Wolf, and he feels his need for secrecy finally is at an end.

“It’s been 20 years almost, and it’s time,” Wolf said.

Indeed it is. The Predators are about to host their first Stanley Cup Final game, tonight. Pittsburgh leads the best-of-seven series, 2-0, but that’s another story.

Nashville’s catfish tradition is well known around here, but it became national news earlier this week thanks to Jacob Waddell, 36 .

After an extraordinary effort to conceal a flattened catfish on his person, Waddell threw it onto the ice—in Pittsburgh—on Monday night. The Predators then scored three goals before Pittsburgh pulled out a 5-3 win in the opener. Waddell was charged with disorderly conduct, possessing instruments of crime and disrupting meetings or processions before they were withdrawn.

Wolf, of course, watched all this from afar with some measure of satisfaction.

He says the idea to toss a catfish grew out a discussion at Wolfy’s during the Predators’ inaugural season, back in 199899. Wolf is a Rangers’ fan born in Brooklyn who had played drums for Johnny Paycheck and others before going into the restaurant business in Nashville. He helped open the restaurant bearing his name across from renowned honky-tonk Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge. He also lobbied Nashville to build an arena on the other corner to spur redevelopment of what then was a neighborhood down on its luck.

Back then, he served burgers to construction workers and the Predators’ new owner, Craig Leipold. Once Nashville landed an NHL expansion franchise, Wolfy’s became a go-to stop for fans and players. There were also a fair number of Red Wings fans in the area, thanks to General Motors’ nearby Saturn plant and the automaker’s close ties to Detroit.

The Red Wings immediately became Nashville’s biggest foe.