SI

Carl Hagelin Threw a Traditional Swedish Crayfish Party With the Stanley Cup

It doesn’t get more Swedish than this. 

Dan Gartland

Carl Hagelin Threw a Traditional Swedish Crayfish Party With the Stanley Cup
Carl Hagelin Threw a Traditional Swedish Crayfish Party With the Stanley Cup /

Follow Extra Mustard on Facebook

Follow

Image placeholder title

Last summer Carl Hagelin brought the Stanley Cup back to his hometown and showed it off for a massive crowd. This year was a little different. 

At first I thought Hagelin just really liked crayfish and maybe this was a crustacean-themed birthday party or something. But then I did a little searching. It turns out crayfish parties are a really big deal in Sweden. That’s why Hagelin had a dozen people all gathered around a table singing what I can only assume is a song extolling the virtues of freshwater seafood. 

The parties usually happen right around the beginning of August because that’s the historical date of the beginning of the crayfish harvest.​ According to the Swedish government, the silly outfits are part of the tradition. You’re also supposed to eat the crayfish cold and “sucking noisily to extract the juices is perfectly acceptable behaviour.” Given how popular this seems to be in Sweden, I’d be surprised if this was the first such party the cup was present for. 

Published
Dan Gartland
DAN GARTLAND

Dan Gartland is the writer and editor of Sports Illustrated’s flagship daily newsletter, SI:AM, covering everything an educated sports fan needs to know. He joined the SI staff in 2014, having previously been published on Deadspin and Slate. Gartland, a graduate of Fordham University, is a former Sports Jeopardy! champion (Season 1, Episode 5).

Home/Extra Mustard