Detroit Red Wings' ex-Zamboni driver fired for peeing into drain

What an odd situation.

Al Sobotka, who was a Zamboni driver for the Detroit Red Wings, was fired by the organization because he peed into a drain of the Zamboni garage at Little Caesars Arena.

Sobotka sued the Red Wings for this reason. According to his lawyers, Sobotka's rights were violated as they stipulated that he was discriminated because of his age (68), and his medical condition : a Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy.

To make it simple, this disease is caused by the expansion of the prostate and surrounding tissues. Thus, it will bring you more to the bathroom, and sometimes, the urge to urinate is uncontrollable when a person is suffering from BPH.


The scene happened on February 2nd. As Sobotka was in the Zamboni garage after cleaning the ice, he felt the urge to urinate and did so in the drain. An employee saw him.

He was suspended for a week before being terminated on February 17th.

Here's the full story by Helene St. James.