DETROIT — Few Zamboni drivers can get a crowd going quite like Al Sobotka, who has been a part of more Detroit Red Wings lore than most fans or players could dream of.

And as the Kraken made their first appearance in an “Original Six” market here Wednesday night, they had to hope Sobotka wouldn’t become a part of the show yet again. Besides driving the Zamboni, Sobotka, 68, is the guy in charge of picking up dead octopuses — yes, you read that correctly — thrown on the ice by fans at Little Caesars Arena. He is known to get somewhat rambunctious about it.

“Usually I grab it, give it a twirl and it riles up the crowd,” said Sobotka, who began working Red Wings games in 1971-72. “We had two this year, I believe, and I swung one here a few games ago. And of course the crowd got all going, and we won the game.”

That Nov. 13 game saw the Red Wings fall behind Montreal 1-0 before Dylan Larkin tied things up in the second period, prompting the octopus toss from the stands. After Sobotka got the crowd going with a lasso-style twirl, Detroit scored again a minute later and wound up winning in overtime.

The so-called Legend of the Octopus tradition dates to 1952 when Detroit fishmongers Pete and Jerry Cusimano realized the creatures had eight tentacles — then the number of playoff wins needed to capture the Stanley Cup. The Red Wings were 7-0 that postseason and looking to become the first NHL team to enjoy a perfect playoff run, which they did by winning their eighth game after the Cusimano brothers threw their octopus on the ice.

Initially, the creatures would be thrown only in playoff games, either after the national anthem was played or when the Red Wings had scored. But because the team has not made the postseason since 2015-16, some fans throw them after regular-season goals.

Things haven’t always gone smoothly for lifelong Detroit resident Sobotka during his performances.

“I’ve had a tentacle break off,” he said. “And once somebody threw one that was partially frozen, so I couldn’t really twirl it.”

The team officially opposes anything being thrown on the ice. Octopus-throwing fans have been ejected and even fined $500 under a city ordinance, though the team does look the other way — as does the NHL — when Sobotka starts twirling. 

The league once threatened to fine the Red Wings $10,000 for every octopus twirled by Sobotka but rescinded the policy after some negotiation. It now makes Sobotka do his twirling from the Zamboni entrance gate and not out on the ice after complaints by opposing players that bits of octopus were getting left behind and risked interfering with their play.

For Sobotka, it’s all in a day’s work.

“For me, I’m just having fun,” he said. “I still love what I do.”

The Kraken’s successful road trip took a tough medical turn after the Buffalo game with goalie Chris Driedger placed on injured reserve. Also, top-scoring forwards Jordan Eberle and Jaden Schwartz and defenseman Will Borgen were unavailable Wednesday because of lower-body injuries. 

Kraken coach Dave Hakstol declined to provide additional information. 

Hakstol said after the Kraken’s morning skate Wednesday that Driedger’s injury was brought to the team’s attention after he’d completed a 7-4 win over the Sabres on Monday. It’s the second time this season Driedger has gone on IR. He injured a knee in an October game and missed two weeks.

“I don’t know if it was on a specific play,” Hakstol said. “It’s something that came up after the game.”

Goaltender Joey Daccord was called up from the team’s AHL affiliate in Charlotte, North Carolina. So was forward Kole Lind, added to the roster to replace Calle Jarnkrok, who was placed on IR after missing the past three games because of an undisclosed injury.

Schwartz leads the team in points with 17, and Eberle is tops in goals with 11 and second in points with 16.

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