Predators coach asks fans not to throw catfish onto the ice in Game 4, they do anyway

Nashville Predators fans have made a name for themselves in this Stanley Cup Final for throwing catfish all over the ice. Five (!) catfish were tossed onto the Bridgestone Arena ice in Game 3, the first-ever Cup Final game hosted in Nashville.

And though the Predators clearly have a home-ice advantage, it seems like the team is growing wary of the consequences. Ahead of Game 4 on Monday, Predators coach Peter Laviolette read a scripted plea to fans to stop this.

Transcript:

Hey, everyone. Showing good sportsmanship is part of being good citizens of Nashville. That means not throwing anything on the ice, putting both our players and the officials in danger. Help us secure our home ice advantage and prevent us from being penalized for unnecessary reasons. Please don’t throw anything on the ice and thank you for being the best fans in the National Hockey League.

Scripted or not, it’s a good point. Officials have the right to penalize the home team if their fans delay the game enough by throwing things on the ice, and a penalty in the Stanley Cup Final could be the difference between a championship or a series loss.

So. Maybe don’t throw five catfish on the ice in one game, eh? Or just do don’t do what one hero irresponsible fan did and travel to Pittsburgh to do it.

Update: Fans broke this plea agreement before the game even began. Whoops.