The Hockey Song
"The Hockey Song" is a song written and originally performed by Canadian folksinger Stompin' Tom Connors. The song first appeared on Connors' 1973 album, Stompin' Tom and the Hockey Song. However, the song did not reach its tremendous popularity until 1997. It was at this time that the song was played at Ottawa Senators games. Pat Burns, then coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, wanted to have it played in Toronto. Fans took a liking to the song and it spread throughout both Canadian and American NHL arenas.
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The verses of the song are split up so that each one describes a period of play in a typical hockey game. In the first verse Connors sings, "Someone roars, Bobby scores!". This was probably done because many popular players in the NHL at the time were named Bobby, namely Bobby Orr, Bobby Clarke, and Bobby Hull. In the last verse Connors sings that it is the last game of the playoffs and the "Stanley Cup is all filled up for the champs that win the drink". He later also sings "The puck is in, the home team wins!". In concert he may change "home team" to an actual team based on where he is playing.
In the song's chorus, Connors sings, "The good old hockey game is the best game you can name, and the best game you can name is the good old hockey game."
[edit] In popular culture
The song has been covered by many bands, including Corb Lund Band and The Hanson Brothers. One such cover version was used in combination with Connors' recording as the theme song for the 1990s CTV series, Power Play, while another was used to open NHL broadcasts on CTV Sportsnet in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
In 2004, the American comedy-talk show Late Night with Conan O'Brien taped a week's worth of shows in Canada. During one of these telecasts, Connors, making one of the first American TV appearances of his entire career, was brought on to perform "The Hockey Song".
The song was played on the children's programme Jacob Two-Two during an animated hockey match.
With the expiration of CBC Television's licence of "The Hockey Theme" for Hockey Night in Canada, Connors has let it be known that he would be open to an appropriate licensing offer for his song as a replacement theme song.[1] The song is also being used to promote EA Sports' NHL 10 video game in commercials.
"The Hockey Song" was re-recorded in 2008 by Connors as the "new 2008 version" and was featured on his latest studio album, The Ballad of Stompin' Tom.
The song was also used in a TV spot for EA Sports' NHL 10.
The song is used to introduce broadcaster Greg Brady on the BBC Five Live radio show Fighting Talk.
In 2011, a cover of the song was used by NBC Sports in a promo for the 2012 NHL Winter Classic.
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