If Georges Laraque gets his way, Oiler fans will never again need ask "Where's the beef?" - because it'll be all over the ice at Rexall Place.
The beefy bruiser fully supports kick-starting a tradition that will see rabid Oiler fans go mad prior to playoff puckdrops, and hurl chunks of good old Alberta cow onto the ice.
That's what the few Edmonton fans at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit did during games 1 and 2 of the playoff series. Detroit fans have a tradition of tossing octopuses.
"They threw the beef in Detroit, and we won. I think it's an awesome idea," said Laraque, who was so hyped about the idea he could barely contain himself yesterday.
"Edmonton has better fans than Detroit. What better way to rub it in their faces than by throwing a big Alberta steak onto the ice?
"It gets people revved up. We can associate it with winning and start a whole new tradition!"
Besides, Laraque added, it's free advertising for Alberta's beef industry, which has been hobbled by recent American attempts to stall cattle trading since the mad cow scare.
The beef-tossing idea popped up after two slabs of what was alleged to be Alberta beef landed on the ice at Joe Louis as Karen Newman finished singing O Canada.
"I'll toss a steak on the ice," said Edmonton fan Conrad Latimer. "It's the first chance we've had to do this kind of thing in years. It's a fun idea and it shows our pride."
Alberta Beef Producers Chair Darcy Davis chuckled, but agreed. "Nothing says Alberta like beef," he quipped.
But the would-be tradition has its detractors.
Oiler fan Dwaine Grynke, who's snagged a pair of tickets to tonight's game, said tossing raw meat isn't his "cup of tea."
"We'll be loud enough to get the team going without tossing steaks," he said. "I'll be barbecuing mine before the game."
Marjorie Bencz of the Edmonton Food Bank said meat tossers should consider donating food that can actually be eaten.
"I hope the same people that can throw away steaks can support the food bank, too," she said.
Butcher Randy Towle reminded would-be scavengers that just because the beef ends up on ice, it's still unsafe to eat.
"That stuff gets thrown in people's pockets first. Meat doesn't stay good for very long when it's not chilled.
