Red Wings fire Al Sobotka (Zamboni Driver / Operations Manager / Octopus Twirler)
"There was no immediate comment from the Red Wings. It also wasn't immediately clear what caused the termination."
"Sobotka said in an official statement: "I loved my 51 years with the Detroit Red Wings, and would have been happy to stay 51 more."
I'll be interested to hear the back story someday, but whatever it is, this is not how I wanted the Al Sobotka story to end.
Sorry fam, I missed the OT label. 🤦‍♂️
He probably slapped Chris rock
I think that only gets you a polite request to leave, to which you are welcome to say, "No."
When I start a bar fight, the police are usually pretty chill with me
Now that’s funny
....he should have slapped Will Smith!
Probably just time for him to shamble his way off-stage. Thanks for the JLA memories, Al.
A source said Sobotka has hired an attorney and is contemplating a wrongful termination lawsuit.
https://www.mlive.com/redwings/2022/03/longtime-red-wings-zamboni-driver-al-sobotka-fired.html
March 31st, 2022 at 10:18 AM ^
So close to the end of the season... would like to have seen the Wings have a late season game where they announce his retirement and let the fans send him off. Sad that it got to the point of firing him.
March 31st, 2022 at 12:25 PM ^
Interesting. I figured it was due to how poor the ice was a few days ago. They kept having to stop play to repair it.
March 31st, 2022 at 12:32 PM ^
They fired a guy that worked there for 51 years because he had a bad day?
There's absolutely no way he was let go with like 4 home games left in a lame-duck season because of bad ice after 51 years.
It has to have been something unforgivable.
I mean shit, Jeff Blashill STILL hasn't been fired.
he hasn't been at the arena for 3 weeks
He shouldn't have crossed the Greek.
Macedonian
Frank had no choice with BPD and their wire tap.
He should’ve just let Valchek have the stain glass donation to the church.
More sad than Frank’s death was what Ziggy did to that poor duck
March 30th, 2022 at 10:20 PM ^
why did you have to bring that up?? Completely forgot about that
Ziggy was such a complete dumbass.
March 31st, 2022 at 11:05 PM ^
YOU MOTHERFUCKERS GAVE ME BAD ADVICE
March 31st, 2022 at 12:13 PM ^
Pride goeth before the fall.
You mean the Pizza Macedonians?
Nooo!!!! The entire hockey world knows Al Sobotka from the days when the Wings were winning Cups. It was great watching him twirl it over his head after goals, just getting the crowd even more spun up. It also caused all the other crew members to man up when collecting octopi from the ice, including the women. So much fun back in the day!
I hope this 'firing' was more like a 'c'mon dude, it's time to retire' thing...
They fired HIM?
Hmm, head coach or operations manager? Because you couldn't keep both!
First Frank, now Al?
March 31st, 2022 at 10:37 AM ^
I must have missed this episode of Seinfeld.
There has to be some sort of back story here. I mean, fire a popular Zamboni driver, why??
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On a tangent, as a mid-1990s De La Salle grad, any reference to Al always reminds me of the after-dance fight case from that era (one of his relatives was charged in that case). Forever RIP my classmate Alex.
Discussion on a reddit forum about Al was that he was never a nice person . If this is true , could be why he was fired and not allowed to retire . Im sure there is much more to the story .
March 30th, 2022 at 11:09 PM ^
Played at the Joe as a kid a couple times. Can confirm that he was not pleasant. Also for him being the rink manager the ice was soft and choppy. Much better experience playing at Yost than the Joe.
Maybe the ice sucked from all the octopus juice.
The Joe ice was regarded as some of the best in the NHL. For a massive arena, it was great. I got to play there once to win a high school JV state title, and thought the ice was great.
Agreed that Yost ice is fantastic as well. Skated there every Friday with the b-school team during college.
March 31st, 2022 at 12:19 PM ^
The B school had a hockey team? We were lucky to scrape together an IM soccer team back in the day ( having lots of Euro students helped). Most were interested in Dominick's instead.
A good thread would be good IM stories.
March 30th, 2022 at 10:42 PM ^
Ha, I’m a late 90s De La Salle grad. Never knew the whole Alex story. just heard rumblings.
March 31st, 2022 at 12:44 AM ^
Hmm, also was in Alex’s class as DLS. Didn’t know there was an Al connection
March 30th, 2022 at 10:42 PM ^
Always makes me think of my favorite ballplayer, Joe Shlabotnik.
/twirls octopus angrily
March 31st, 2022 at 11:58 AM ^
Wondering what happened...this isn't the sendoff you give to somebody who has been in your organization for 51 years and has the team mascot named after him. Wonder if we'll ever find out...
Regardless, it's a shame that it got to this point. I wish it was something more like a retirement celebration for him, given his tenure.
But I can't cast any judgment about what the Wings org did until we know more. I sincerely doubt they would unceremoniously terminate him for no reason at all...but then again, billionaires are some of the worst people on the planet, so who knows...
Back in the day I had a Wings shirt-zee with SOBOTKA 88 on the back of it. No one got it.
I hope this more about the current Ilitch regime being bad owners and has nothing to do with Al. He is a DRW folk hero!
Unfortunately I dont think you get fired with 31 years of experience before the season ends if there wasn't more to it.
If it was just his time to go or for the organization to change it up you wait till the current season is over and let him retire, even if it is a forced retirement. Al did something to someone.
You're right, probably not, but that's a shame if Al got himself canned.
I sure miss the good ole days with the Wings, its really rather sad now. The Wings were really a big part of my life in my 20s, so many good times revolved around the playoffs and Cup runs.
So two of the rumors I have been told…He pissed off someone high up in management. Had a big argument.
Then literally took a piss in the drain that the ice melts in, where the Zamboni drives on and off. One of the conversion workers (the crew that helps change from basketball to hockey or to concerts) saw him and called HR. He was suspended. This was a month or two ago. There is a bathroom 30 feet from where he allegedly took a piss. So safe to assume this is something he did regularly, and the wrong person saw him. Some co workers liked him. And some did not. My guess is that there was a few strikes against him and this was a way to fire him.