(as originally published in The Times Delphic)

I’ve been a hockey game enjoyer since my middle school choir sang the national anthem at an Iowa Wild game in 2012. Cheering on Iowa Wild and the Pittsburgh Penguins through their battles and games with the hope of seeing something a little violence on the ice has been a joy of mine. As someone who’s been going to a university with the best mascot ever, I have put together a list of my favorite Hockey mascots:

Gritty

Self declared 2018 Time Person of the Year, Gritty is a seven foot tall, googly eyed furry creature and is the familiar belly of the Philadelphia Flyers. Career highlights include getting arrested for punching a child, being an internet sensation and appearing on talk shows. In his official biography (come on, you have to love this thing even more now that it has a biography) the construction of the Wells Fargo center disturbed his secret hideout, so he came out to see what all the ruckus was and became the mascot of the Philadelphia Flyers. I can only hope that when I die, I get reincarnated as Gritty. Read More about him here.

S. J. Sharkie

The most ADORABLE little shark to ever skate the ice. I personally think that he’s just the cutest mascot, and that’s why he’s earned his place at number two. The oversized puffy ice skates and the fin on the back of the jersey is worthy of a chef’s kiss for attention to detail. 

Wild Wing

Wild Wing is not only a pretty face, he’s also a movie star. Appearing in The Mighty Ducks, Wild Wing is the mascot for the Anaheim Ducks. He got his name from a “name the mascot” contest. I just love how he looks like an angry freddy krueger duck on skates. His little alien-like eyes sort of stare into my soul, but I still think he’s adorable. 

Al the Octopus

This “mascot” is not someone walking around in a suit, but rather an inflated octopus that descends from the rafters. Unfortunately, Al came around from a very sad tradition, the Detroit Red Wings fans of the past would throw dead octopi onto the ice after the playoff games. Somewhere, they decided that the number of octopi thrown on the ice symbolized the number of games the red wings needed to win the stanley cup. Now, when the Red Wings do well and make it to the playoffs, Al makes his glorious descent. Read more about him here.

Icebergh

As a penguin’s fan, he HAD to make the list. I think that he’s so silly looking, he’s almost cute. He kinda looks like if cookie monster and a penguin had a baby, with his big goofy eyes. I really like how he wears the penguins jersey with a fierce penguin on his belly while he has such a goofy look on his face. 

Vicktor E. Rat

Finally, my last mascot that I like, Vicktor E Rat. Vicktor is the mascot of the Florida Panthers, and comes with his own unfortunate story.  The abridged version of the story behind the rat is that one was in the locker room before a game and the team captain picked up a stick and hit the little guy against the wall. Later that night, the captain scored a few points and someone coined the term “scored a rat trick” and the rest was history. I just like how goofy this little guy looks.

Find your favorite mascot here.