<does this happen everywhere? >
 
The CC-DU rivalry is infamous for producing games in which the ice is
cluttered by paraphenalia from fans. there are published legends about DU
students throwing things on the ice, like placing live swans on the ice at the
old Broadmoor that were taken from a lake at the hotel (the swans subsequently
died from heart attacks after the shock).  Other creatures thrown on the ice
include pigs, rats (dumped by DU students during the third period--they'd held
on to them the entire game!), chickens, and duck heads. and in the good ol'
days DU fans would throw fryer chickens at CC players during the games in
Denver.  I've been at the old barn in Denver where they flash warnings in the
arena that students who throw things will be punished based on the student
codes, and at many games you will see tigers hanging from the Bleacher
Creatures (i.e. student section on the second level).  i've been at games
between the two teams when one school received a bench penalty for students
not heeding warnings from the refs about throwing things on the ice.
CC has its own history of wanting to throw things.  four years ago the student
president had a movement to change the mascot to the Colorado Greenback
Cutthroat Trout.  the premise was that it was native to Colorado--unlike the
commonplace Tiger.  The Tiger won the vote with a whopping mandate of a 51-49%
vote, but if you talked to the students--the real reason that the fish almost
won was so that fans could have something to throw on the ice after a CC
score.  this coming from a school that is very very environmentally
"conscious"!  i will say that i voted in that election, proudly backing that
"boring" tiger mascot.
 
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