NHL players choosing their own goal songs is trending in a sport that鈥檚 historically emphasized team and downplayed the individual.
The Winnipeg Jets this season are among the latest clubs to let each player pick a song to reverberate through Canada Life Centre after he scores.
鈥滻 think the fans have loved it. The players have definitely picked up on it. They鈥檝e put some thought into it,鈥� said Kyle Balharry, True North Sports鈥� senior director of game presentation.
鈥淚t鈥檚 bringing a lot of personality to the game.鈥�
Sam Gagne鈥檚 choice 鈥淢r. Brightside鈥� by The Killers gets the fans 鈥渟inging it like crazy,鈥� Balharry said.
The players鈥� selections generate social-media buzz as fans dissect both musical tastes and how a player鈥檚 choice reflects his personality.
鈥淢usic is a hot topic always right?鈥� Balharry said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 impossible to please everyone, but it definitely sparks conversation.鈥�
A team song blares in every NHL arena after the home side scores.
In Calgary, it鈥檚 AC/DC鈥檚 鈥淭.N.T.鈥� Toronto鈥檚 is 鈥淵ou Make My Dreams鈥� by Hall and Oates. Vancouver鈥檚 is Simple Minds鈥� 鈥淒on鈥檛 You (Forget About Me).鈥�
Winnipeg isn鈥檛 abandoning that ritual.
The chronology is the goal horn is followed by the Jets鈥� goal anthem 鈥淕onna Celebrate鈥� by The Phantoms, the whoosh of a jet engine and then the player鈥檚 song.
That sequence provides just enough time for the in-house DJ to locate the player鈥檚 song.
鈥淚n hockey, it happens so fast. Probably one of the struggles for years and reluctance from hockey teams including myself and the Jets is how to execute that,鈥� Balharry explained.
鈥淥n our scoreboard, when you鈥檙e watching the replay, a graphic will come up that says, 鈥渢his is my song鈥�, and we鈥檒l show the player and it鈥檒l show what song he picked,鈥� he continued.
鈥淭hen we鈥檒l put a QR code up as well. People can hold their phones up and download the Spotify list.鈥�
The Jets joined the Florida Panthers in adopting personalized goal songs this season.
The Buffalo Sabres introduced signature songs last season following the San Jose Sharks and Washington Capitals in 2020.
Buffalo鈥檚 playlist 2.0 offers up a couple of throwbacks.
Sabres forward Jeff Skinner switched his goal song from Miley Cyrus鈥檚 鈥淧arty in the U.S.A.鈥� last season to the more retro-pop 鈥淚 Want To Dance With Somebody鈥� by Whitney Houston.
鈥淚 just chose one that was sort of a singalong-karaoke kind of song,鈥� explained the 30-year-old from Toronto.
鈥淭o me, it鈥檚 a classic. Whenever I go to a wedding or a party, it鈥檚 usually one that gets the people going.鈥�
Sabres forward Victor Olofsson was born 16 years after the release of ABBA鈥檚 鈥淕imme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight),鈥� but the 1979 vintage dance hit is his choice at KeyBank Center.
鈥淚 just needed something Swedish,鈥� Olofsson said. 鈥淚 guess I said to my girlfriend this summer, I probably want something a bit more Swedish and she came up with the ABBA song. It鈥檚 just a good song.鈥�
Instead of picking their own songs, Flames鈥� players are assigned their music that follows 鈥淭.N.T.鈥� at the Saddledome.
鈥淭he Flames did pick one for me, the AC Milan theme song,鈥� Calgary winger Milan Lucic said. 鈥淭hey did a really good job of that, so I鈥檇 stick with the one they picked.鈥�
The Vancouver Canucks were early adopters of personalized goal songs in 2015, but discontinued the practice after a couple of seasons.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 score enough to get my own goal song, that鈥檚 for sure,鈥� Canucks defenceman Luke Schenn said. 鈥淚鈥檓 usually asking who (the puck) hit on the way in.鈥�
For decades, baseball players have picked their own songs to play when they walk to home plate for their at-bat.
NBA players have signature riffs after they score, like Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet鈥檚 鈥淵abba Dabba Doo.鈥�
The NHL has been slower to embrace an in-house entertainment element celebrating individual contributions.
鈥淗ockey especially has been like that, focusing more on building the team than individuals,鈥� Lucic said.
鈥淭he difference is too, you know you鈥檙e going to go up to bat, but you don鈥檛 know you鈥檙e going to score every night, so that maybe has a little bit to do with it as well.
鈥淭hinking about guys coming out to bat, especially when I was at (Boston鈥檚) Fenway going to games, it was a pretty cool thing seeing what songs guys picked and what songs guys like. I think it鈥檚 great there鈥檚 that individuality now in hockey.鈥�
Canucks captain Bo Horvat, whose goal song back in 2016-17 was Young Jeezy鈥檚 鈥淧ut On鈥�, takes an opposing view.
鈥淚 like having a team song,鈥� Horvat said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not about me. (Scoring鈥檚) not an individualized thing. It鈥檚 a team effort when somebody scores, so to have a team song is what I like.鈥�
Maple Leafs players have yet to choose their own goal songs, but 39-year-old defenceman Mark Giordano quipped he鈥檇 go with Jay-Z鈥檚 鈥淵oung Forever.鈥�
Toronto winger Michael Bunting landed on Meek Mill鈥檚 鈥淚ma Boss鈥�, but felt teammate Mitch Marner鈥檚 musical tastes were too broad to predict.
鈥淢itchy would be all over the place,鈥� Bunting mused. 鈥淢aybe a little Taylor Swift or something light.鈥�
If given the option during his playing career from 1979 to 1986, Flames head coach Darryl Sutter would have chosen Kris Kristofferson鈥檚 1970 classic 鈥淪unday Mornin鈥� Comin鈥� Down鈥�.
Why?
鈥淛ust listen to it,鈥� Sutter said.
鈥擠onna Spencer, The Canadian Press
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