Great Musical Moments in NHL History

SI Staff | Jan 19, 2012

Great Musical Moments in NHL History /

Great Musical Moments in NHL History

The Washington Capitals star appeared in a Russian rap video alongside rapper Sasha Belyi. The song is entitled "Champion," and even features a short versed rapped by Ovechkin himself at the 2:55 mark. Click here for the video.

In grand style, the Windy City's finest warble -- or is it wobble? -- their way through such timeless hymns as "Patrick Sharp is Coming To Town", "Bickell Bells", "Frolik Navidad" and "Lepisto, Lepisto, Lepisto". Click here for the heartwarming video.

The San Jose Sharks wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas in 2010 with their own version of a Time-Life holiday album commercial. Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, Dan Boyle, Dany Heatley, Scott Nichol and Ryan Clowe dance and sing, if you can call it that, as they promote their A Capella Holiday Album, available on 8-track and cassette. Click here for video.

Alex Ovechkin already has some musical experience, including a song he recorded during the summer of 2010 with Russian rapper Zhigan and a hair-raising video that he and his Capitals teammates cranked out in 2009 at the State Theatre in Falls Church, VA. That's Mike Green on drums, Jose Theodore and Nicklas Backstrom on guitars and Brooks Laich on bass. Click here for video.

After his failed comeback attempt with the Flames in 2009, the diminutive former pot-stirrer began writing and recording country-western tunes at Pyramid Productions in Calgary. "They're original pieces. I'm writing and singing," Fleury told the Toronto Globe and Mail. "Every place I've ever lived I've had a karaoke machine. It's part of my Metis heritage to sing and perform."

The former NHL star and current NBC analyst has long been known for running his mouth, and that's exactly what he did with a karaoke version of the Tone-Loc classic at Stanley's, a Chicago watering hole, in June 2010. Click here for video.

The British metalpop band was lucky to get out of Detroit's Fox Theatre with their hats and their keisters after lead singer Joe Elliott stood the hallowed trophy on its head, much to the horror -- and anger -- of the Red Wings, who were celebrating their recent triumph at the 2008 NHL Face-Off Rocks Concert. Click here for video.

The former NHL winger, beloved in Detroit as a member of four Stanley Cup-winning teams, also blessed the world with such bracing cds as "Out of Our Heads" and "Gotta Keep Movin'" as lead singer for the punk band Grinder. Click here for video.

It was only natural that, after winning the franchise's first Stanley Cup since 1961, the Blackhawks would turn up at Wrigley Field to serenade the Windy City faithful with renditions of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." Captain Jon Toews and Patrick Kane did a version, but we prefer Bolland and Keith's more, um, challenging rendition. Click here for video.

Winning has its perks, and for the Blackhawks winger that meant gambolling onstage with hockey's hallowed silverware and joining tropical pop icon Jimmy Buffett for a spirited version of "Boat Drinks" at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, IL. Click here for video.

Bet you didn't know that the former NHL goaltender and current CBC commentator blows mean bagpipes for the Peel Regional Police Pipe Band and the Highland Creek Band. He's even played with some guy named Paul McCartney and at New York's famed Carnegie Hall. Click here for video.

Chris Trotman/NHLI via Getty Images, Robert Laberge/Getty Images

You can't get two more aptly-named acts than that for a hockey game. Five For Fighting's name was inspired by a Marty McSorley-Bob Probert bout witnessed by leader John Ondrasik (inset). The Zambonis (pictured at the 2008 NHL Fan Festival) are renowned for their (naturally) hockey-themed albums and songs.

Making like Tower of Power with the horn segment, members of the 1987 Calgary Flames -- that's a young Brett Hull lip-synching "Red Hot" to beat the band -- pretty much set the standard for team torch songs. Click here for video.

Yes, that's the former Islanders head coach as a Boston College goaltender -- otherwise known as Flash -- back in 1986 cranking out hockey's response to the Chicago Bears' "Super Bowl Shuffle." We imagine this unfortunate outing is often used in blackmail attempts against the BC Eagles who participated in it. Click here for video. (Gordon appears at the 1:52 mark)

Yes, scowling taskmaster Mike Keenan was in a rock band. Nik and The Nice Guys formed in 1971 when he was playing hockey at Saint Lawrence University (current Canadiens coach Jacques Martin was rejected because he could only sing in French) and reformed as Keenan was coaching at Rochester in the `80s. "Mike didn't play any instrument," band member Gary Webb told Sports Illustrated in 1995, "and he sang in this incredibly flat voice, but he wanted so badly to be center stage. He would sing that Sly and the Family Stone song I Want to Take You Higher. He'd get everybody in the room down on their knees, then wiggling their rear ends, then flopping like fish on the floor of some beer-soaked frat-house basement. It was hilarious! He'd compensate for his lack of ability by bullying the crowd into doing what he wanted." The band later played two Super Bowl parties in New Orleans when Keenan was coaching the Flyers in the late 80s.

phil-esposito.c.2.jpg — Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Thanks to reader John Heberling of Universal City, Texas, for alerting to us to a musical milestone from 1979: Phil Esposito lending his dulcet tones to "Hockey Sock Rock" by the Rangers Rockers (Espo, Ron Duguay, Dave Maloney, Pat Hickey). Click here to listen. Not to be outdone, Marcel Dionne, Dave Taylor and Charlie Simmer of the Kings formed Dionne and The Puck-Tones and cranked out the touching love lament, "Please Forgive My Misconduct Last Night." Both songs were released on one boffo 45-rpm record, with the price of purchase going to charity.

Fondly recalled by the Hartford faithful who to this day keep a candle burning in the window for their long-departed (to Carolina) team, the sassy strains of "Brass Bonanza" famously accompanied Whaler goals as the team's official theme song. Definitely one of the more memorable tunes, but heaven forbid it gives you an earworm and you can't get it out of your head. Click here for video.

The sport's most famous musical association was forged in 1969 when Flyers vice president Lou Schienfield asked that Smith's version of "God Bless America" be played instead of "The Star Spangled Banner" before a game vs. Toronto. The Flyers won and seemed to win whenever the song was played -- they went 19-1-1 during the first three years -- and so it was wheeled out, and sometimes Smith herself, for important games, including Game 6 of the 1974 Stanley Cup Final vs. Boston and Game 7 of the 1975 semi-finals vs. the Islanders. You can guess who won each time.

Published Jan 19, 2012

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