Whether it’s famous sports players extolling the virtues of their favorite artist or a group of fans adopting a song as their own, music and sport have been, and forever will be, inextricably joined at the hip. Hockey is no different, with everyone from the NHL teams to KHL fans picking out their favorite tracks and records. Here is a list of some of the most iconic hockey songs ever recorded, many originating from Canada.
The Dropkick Murphys – Time to Go
The Dropkick Murphys gave their followers few hints about which NHL team they would dedicate themselves to till their dying day.
The clues were all in their famous Celtic ditty called “Time to Go” whose lyrics started and ended with: ‘Go! Go! Black and gold!’ before declaring, ‘Drop the puck, it’s time to go!’
The band’s bass player is a Bruins season ticket holder and he’s made no bones about the fact that he and his band members are black and gold through and through.
Stompin’ Tom Connors – The Hockey Song
Most Canadians, let alone diehard hockey fans, know most of the lyrics to this country music classic, which beautifully captures the heart and soul of the sport.
Stompin’ Tom Connors dreamed up the song while living a nomadic lifestyle that took in every nook and cranny of Canada.
In his early days, before the Hall of Fame came calling to induct Connors in 2018, he used his guitar to make ends meet, while not once losing his love for hockey.
Now whether you find yourself reviewing where to place an NHL bet during a break in play or you are up in the bleachers of a local league game, this is one song is more than likely to blare from your TV or the stadium’s public address system.
The Tragically Hip – Fireworks
They may have tragically retired in 2018, but The Tragically Hip will forever be remembered by hockey fans for their puck and ice inspired songs such as Fireworks and Fifty Mission Cap.
Such was the band’s love for the game that frontman Gord Downie even moonlighted as a goalie occasionally. Just like Tom Connors, The Hip managed to bottle the very essence of hockey and condense it into bars and lyrics no one will ever forget.
In 2017 Downie tragically passed away, but his legacy will live on for as long as people keep picking up hockey sticks and blast Fireworks from their car windows.
Tom Cochrane and Red Rider – Big League
Everyone knows that one hockey dad who believes his progeny are destined for the big leagues. Well, this song by Tom Cochrane is just the song for that man, as it depicts how for many a youngster in small North American towns and villages, seemingly the only way out is to skate to freedom.
The song takes something of a tragic twist a few verses in, but certainly captures the dreams of many a hockey-obsessed parent who just couldn’t let the fantasy fade.
Any Song – The Zambonis
Some bands on this list are household names, used to having their name up in lights. Not so for the humble Zambonis, who are just a bunch of dedicated hockey fans who like to make songs about their beloved game.
They go the extra yard by donning hockey jerseys and helmets on stage, and their lyrics are often about franchises being moved from their original homes by greedy team owners, and other dramatic events befalling the world of hockey.
