Blades the Bruin, Boston Bruins
Serving as team mascot since 1999, Blades is remarkable for being the only bear that does not hibernate: well, we wouldn’t want him to miss hockey season! Blades became enthralled with hockey after seeing Bruins great Johnny Bucyk play pond hockey after which Blades was taken to the Boston Garden, where Bucyk fed him pizza, hot dogs, and popcorn. Unsurprisingly, the bear accepted an invitation to stay at the Garden as long as the Bruins were bears like himself. Each winter, Blades visits neighbourhoods in Boston and gives bear hugs to raise money for the Bruins Foundation.
Sabretooth, Buffalo Sabres
This famous sabre-toothed tiger was also moonlighting as the mascot for the National Lacrosse League’s Buffalo Bandits in the 1990s. He lives in the Sabres’ home arena KeyBank Center and he abseils from the ceiling to the rink with rock music playing: he is one cool cat. Sabretooth loves to fire t-shirts from his bazooka and enjoys playing the drum as the fans chant along.
Stormy & Caroline, Carolina Hurricanes
Stormy is a hog due to the number of pig farms in eastern North Carolina! A rare female mascot, Caroline was hired as a counterpart to Stormy in 2017-18. She appears at most home games and is referred to as Stormy’s “old friend from home”.
Stinger, Columbus Blue Jackets
Lurid green, towering Stinger is technically a yellowjacket (wasp) but the yellow blending with the Blue Jackets’ team colours helped form a stunning green colour. He enjoys playing his drum in rhythm with the crowd’s chants.
Al the Octopus, Detroit Red Wings
Al the Octopus pays homage to the Red Wings’ famous tradition of throwing an octopus on the ice for good luck. The tradition started in 1952 when local fish merchants did so at the Olympia Arena with the 8 tentacles said to represent the 8 victories required at that time to secure the Stanley Cup.
Stanley C. Panther & Mini Stanley & Viktor E. Rat, Florida Panthers
Not content with just one mascot, the Panthers have 3! The oldest of the 3 is Stanley C. Panther who started his career in 1995 and is named after the Stanley Cup. As might be expected, Mini Stanley – who started working in 2007 – spends a lot of time entertaining the younger fans, and as with Stanley, he is a Florida panther. As of 2014, Viktor E. Rat is an anthropomorphic rat stemming from the club’s Stanley Cup run celebrations in 1996 when fans threw plastic rats onto the ice.
Youppi! & Metal!, Montreal Canadiens
Youppi! really is a star in the mascot world though perhaps his biggest moment of fame was in his previous job as the mascot of the Montreal Expos baseball team when he “fell asleep” on the roof of the away dugout. After the Expos moved out of Montreal in 2004, Youppi! became the Canadiens first official mascot. In 2022, the blue creature Metal! was introduced to promote the reverse jersey and is apparently Youppi!’s twin brother.
N. J. Devil, New Jersey Devils
You guessed it – N. J. Devil is a devil! He first made an appearance in 1993 and his and the team’s name comes from American folklore. The Jersey Devil is a mythical creature that is said to live in the Pine Barrens forest in South Jersey. It is usually described as a flying hooved creature, but there are many different descriptions: a kangaroo-like beast with a horse- or goat-like head, an animal with horns, bat-like wings, clawed hands, cloven-hoofed legs, and a forked tail. It has been said to emit blood-curdling screams. Thankfully, N. J. Devil is a little less scary than that!
Nyisles & Sparky the Dragon, New York Islanders
Seafaring Nyisles had settled into retirement after having a career with the Islanders in the 1990s through to 2001 when Sparky the Dragon took over. However, in 2022, Nyisles was revitalised and brought back to join Sparky, with the excitement of enthusing crowds at the new UBS Arena.
Spartacat, Ottawa Senators
An impressive lion, Spartacat also has references to the “Senator” part of the team. He is one of the longest-standing NHL mascots having begun his career in the early 90s. Like many mascots, Spartacat works in the community and visits schools, hospitals, and kids’ hockey games, while also promoting a literacy drive. Spartacat has a strong hatred for Carlton the Bear of the Maple Leafs.
Gritty, Philadelphia Flyers
Perhaps one of the most recognisable – though least identifiable as a creature – mascots in the NHL is the Flyer’s great orange monster Gritty. At 7-foot tall with huge staring eyes and a cheeky attitude, you can’t miss him! Despite his reputation, Gritty only made his debut in 2018 supposedly emerging during the construction of the Wells Fargo Center. As well as huge online popularity, a formal resolution was passed by the Philadelphia City Council to recognise Gritty for his dedication to the city's spirit and passion.
Iceburgh, Pittsburgh Penguins
Iceburgh is of course a penguin and he is one of the longer-standing mascots in the NHL having started his career at Pittsburgh in the 1992-93 season. A star of rink and screen, Iceburgh featured in the film Sudden Death (1995) alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme!
Thunderbug, Tampa Bay Lightning
Thunderbug is a black and yellow lightning bug and is known for playing the drum in a thunderclap beat to really get the atmosphere going. Before each home game, Thunderbug plays his drum along to AC/DC’s Thunderstruck.
Carlton the Bear, Toronto Maple Leafs
Another bear, though this time a polar bear, is the Maple Leaf’s Carlton. He has been the team’s mascot since 1995 and was named after Toronto’s then-home arena on Carlton Street. Carlton is quite the legend having travelled often with the team appearing at over 20 different arenas. Amazingly, in the 2023-24 season, he is due to pass Toronto legend George Armstrong’s appearances!
Slapshot, Washington Capitals
Representing the country’s capital, Slapshot is an impressive bald eagle. He started his career with the Capitals in 1995 and has 2 mascot friends: Hat Trick and Air Slapshot.
