Minor League Hockey Player Gets 10-Minute Misconduct For Launching Possibly Cursed Chicken Nugget Into The Stands
Even if you've watched hockey for your entire life, I guarantee you've never seen what happened in Toledo on Wednesday before. We've all seen some wild penalties before, but I can't recall a player ever being handed a 10-minute misconduct for causing (the hockey kind) a chicken nugget into the crowd.
It has now happened to Kirill Tyutyayev of the ECHL's Toledo Walleye.
The Walleye were hosting the Kalamazoo Wings for a morning game on Wednesday. This is the kind of thing that minor league teams do so that school groups could be in attendance.
Hockey writer Justin A. Cohn posted a video from the second period that showed something land on the ice just before a faceoff. After the linesman dropped the puck, the play was quickly whisted dead, and that's when Tyutyayev pitch-forked the object up and over the glass.
As it turns out, that object was a chicken nugget.
The Walleye forward was given a 10-minute misconduct for sending that poultry puck airborne.
No word on the culprit, but you have to assume it was some kid. Remember, this was a school kid, and only a child who doesn't understand the value of money would wing a pricey arena nugget on the ice for no reason.
Did The Walleye End Up Falling Victim To The Curse Of The Chicken Nugget?
As for the penalty, I get it, but it still feels goofy. You can understand why the ECHL doesn't want players indiscriminately shooting things into the stands — even chicken nuggets — for safety reasons. However, I'm not sure Tyutyayev even thought about what he was doing. He saw a chicken nugget on the ice that wasn't supposed to be there and chipped it back where it belonged.
No fuss, no muss... unless you count that 10-minute misconduct for the man they call "Toots."
What is even weirder is the strange effect Tytutyayev's impromptu nugget launch seemed to have on the game. The Red Wings' seventh-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft's misconduct penalty didn't result in a powerplay or game misconduct. However, it did seem to serve as a turning point in the game.
The incident happened 8 minutes and 43 seconds into the second period. At that point, the Walleye had a 2-0 lead. At the 12:41 mark, Kalamazoo put one on the board.
That was the first of six unanswered goals the Wings scored en route to a 6-2 victory.
It sounds like the Walleye may be dealing with a chicken nugget curse.
Also, if Kalamazoo fans start chucking nuggs on the ice in a bid to kickstart their offense, you'll know why.
Follow on X: @Matt_Reigle