There’s nothing like a memorable song to get fans amped up after a great goal, but the path to finding the best might be harder than you think.
That’s what Mark Lazerus, Scott Powers and Julian McKenzie of The Athletic sought to figure out, and they asked their readers to rate every goal song in the NHL on a scale of 1-to-10, with 10 being the best. The Buffalo Sabres, Florida Panthers and Washington Capitals use individual songs for players, so they were not ranked by the 2,500 that participated.
Bruins fans might be familiar with the tune, but the goal song Boston uses is “KernKraft 400” by Zombie Nation. The 1999 German techno song earned a 5.79 rating, which was good for sixth on the list.
“I’ve lost all faith in our readership,” Lazerus wrote Thursday. “How is this in the top 31, let alone the top 10?”
A reader wrote, “Am I allowed to hate the Bruins’ song simply because of all the traumatic memories of my childhood — being a (Vancouver) Canucks fan?”
A harsh assessment, though music is subjective, and the song does work best in an arena setting. Its tune is arguably better than the Wild’s and Rangers’ goal songs which are ranked fifth and fourth, respectively. Minnesota’s song hardly can be described as a song befitting of hockey, and New York’s leaves a lot to be desired.
The Seattle Kraken’s use of “Lithium” by Nirvana earned the top spot on the list, and it’s hard to argue against it. The Ottawa Senators took second with “Song 2” by Blur, and it’s a popular song that’s been used for years, but the track just has permeated through pop culture so much that it can feel tired. But it’s a fair ranking.
The Blackhawks rounded out the top three with “Chelsea Dagger” by The Fratellis, and while an iconic tune, but Powers raises an interesting point that Chicago might need a change as it turns a new leaf to a new era.
The songs that ranked at the bottom of the list deserved to. Fans will know of the Avalanche’s use of “All The Small Things” by Blink 182 in the third period, but their goal song, “Chase The Sun” by Planet Funk leaves a lot to be desired for the Colorado fans, which is why it took last place.
One of the most perplexing goal song has to be the Philadelphia Flyers using “Celtic Invasion” by CFO$. For non-WWE fans, this is Becky Lynch’s entrance theme.
Lynch, whose real name is Rebecca Quin, is from — checks notes — Ireland. Her husband Colby Lopez, aka Seth Rollins, is from — checks notes — Iowa and is a Blackhawks fan. Why are the Flyers using this song?
The Vancouver Canucks, for some reason, use “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds as their goal song. Do they want to put their fans to sleep?
There are multiple other strange song choices or bland pump-up songs that deservedly were ranked low, and it’s worth checking out the entire list.
