The National Hockey League is a little less than one month away from it’s annual All-Star Weekend and I have just heard perhaps the most bizarre hockey-related rumor I’ve heard in my time covering the sport.
On Saturday night, NHL insider Jeff Marek revealed some details about the unique skills competitions that might be featured at this year’s event, but one of those details stood out clearly above the rest. In a story that sounds almost too crazy to be true, Marek reported that the NHL might be seriously considering involving alligators in the event.
“This idea of doing some type of competition with alligators and shooting frozen meat pucks, or as someone in the NHL told me ‘they’re called burgers Jeff,'” said Jeff Marek during Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday night.
It feels like this couldn’t possibly be real, but Marek appeared to be serious in his reporting adding that he believes the league is deliberately keeping this close to the vest.
“Shooting frozen burgers at alligators, the NHL is being very hush hush on this one,” said Marek.
Involving wild animals in these types of events is always asking for trouble in my opinion and we are talking about a particularly dangerous animal in this case. Of course I have no doubt that the league would take all the necessary precautions, but even with that in mind I would be surprised if this one makes the final cut.
I can understand why they would want to include an alligator with the NHL All-Star Game being held in Florida this year, but this sounds a little too ambitious.
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