Definitive Ranking: The Goal Songs of the 31 NHL Teams in 2018–2019

What is a great goal song? I believe it should have the appropriate amount of annoyance to rile up the other team and its fans. It should be fun to hear and should lift you up from your seat as a fan every single time. The last part of the criteria is subjective — it should be a good song.

A bad goal song is overplayed, includes unimaginative crowd chants like “Hey!” or “Woo!” and makes you cringe inside even as a fan just a little bit even though you try to dismiss the feeling and enjoy the goal you just witnessed.

Let’s rank the goal songs of the 31 NHL teams. The list is, you guessed it, objectively correct so don’t bother @’ing me.

31. Dallas Stars

The Stars take the cake for the worst song in the League. It’s uninspired, boring and worst of all, lame. I couldn’t imagine unironically celebrating a Dallas Stars goal with “Dallas Stars!” shouted by what sounds like a weirdly serious choir of middle-aged men. This is followed by a super cool guitar riff.

30. New York Rangers

The first “Wooo-oo-oo” appearance on the list but nowhere near the last. The Rangers’ goal song, however, manages to make a “Woo” sound depressing. Why does it sound like it’s sung after the performer learned that there will be a lock-out in 2020? Oh, and the woo’s are followed by “heys” solidifying the 30th spot for the Rangers. Congratulations!

29. Ottawa Senators

The Sens showcase a foul in the “played out” department with the choice of Blur’s Song 2, a “Woo” classic if you will. It works in the sense that it makes the opponent and their fans think about the depressing late ’90s but unfortunately does the same for everyone involved.

28. Columbus Blue Jackets

The song breaks out with a promising sample from For Those About To Rock by AC/DC but quickly moves onto another “Woo” anthem. The Blue Jackets were so close to being in the middle pack of the list but end up at the bottom of the list. I heard this song is partly the reason why Artemi Panarin wants to leave Columbus.

27. Calgary Flames

So, you thought AC/DC would assure a spot higher in the list? Not if you choose one of the most boring songs by the group that is also one of the most played out ones. The cool factor is definitely there if you’re born before the moon landings. This choice is uninspiring, lame and dare I say it, un-lit which isn’t right for the Flames. I’ll see myself out.

26. Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks chose a solid rock anthem from the early 2000s but it’s riddled with added “Hey’s”. It’s not the worst but feels wrong.

25. Washington Capitals

This goal song is just a mess with the sirens. When that noise is finally over, it’s followed by nondescript rock anthem noises pieced together from dozens of royalty-free samples, I think. It succeeds in the criterion of being annoying for the opponents.

24. St. Louis Blues

Well, this is a weird one. I do enjoy the organs at the beginning which is why the song is as high as it is. Those classic hockey-organs are followed by a boring rock song with both “woo’s” and “hey’s”, the deadly sins of goal songs. The contrast between these two sections is quite interesting and might make it one of the most aggravating songs to hear for the opposing side. The nice organs lull you into a sense of comfort. The thought of “they scored but this isn’t too bad” is quickly broken up by hey’s and woo’s right at your face. Now that’ll give you the blues. I’m sorry, now where is that door out of here?

23. Detroit Red Wings

The Red Wings went with something different having no lyrics. The guitar riff is pretty bad-ass but the song also falls somewhat short. It doesn’t really make you jump out of your seat to celebrate but leaves you sat just kind of banging your head.

22. Los Angeles Kings

“Hey, hey

Hey x3"

What could go wrong with this formula? Everything obviously. At least it’s accompanied with a relatively nice and active instrumental arrangement which puts it at a relatively good placing despite the “hey handicap”.

21. Colorado Avalanche

I actually enjoy the melody of Colorado’s goal song. But it doesn’t really work as a celebratory hockey song. I find it has a hint of melancholy. It could be argued that that’s exactly what fits the Avalanche at this time. Try playing the song at 0.5x speed. I see Ryan Gosling driving away at 3 a.m. from a life-changing event with a somber look on his face with this playing. “Hey, hey, hey!”

20. New York Islanders

It’s the most basic crowd-chant encouraging song ever. It’s pretty bad but I could actually imagine myself jolting out of my seat to sing along with the arena with this one.

19. Minnesota Wild

Hey, it’s the same song as with the Islanders! You might think I’m some sort of a goal song historian but I don’t know who did it first. The Wild take the higher spot for completely arbitrary reasons based on personal bias.

18. Arizona Coyotes

Howlin’ For You is really on the nose but who cares, it suits the Coyotes. I’m going to give props to “ta-da-da-da” instead of “hey’s” and “woo’s”. So, it fits and avoids the worst sins but is still too repetitive and doesn’t evoke enough feelings to rank it up higher.

17. New Jersey Devils

The Devils’ goal song is energetic like the product they play on the ice. It’s pretty inoffensive too like the product they play on the ice.

16. Montreal Canadiens

This is probably the most average goal song in hockey so it’s fitting it finds itself in the mid-way of the list. I’m quite disappointed that artifical intelligence is used to create hockey goal songs and not to fix actual problems in the world though.

15. Edmonton Oilers

The progression of the guitar riff is quite enjoyable. It feels like the song is escalating to something epic with that progression and lyrics like “come on”. The epic part never arrives but we get a dad-rocky “gimme a hell, gimme a yeah”. Edmonton Oilers get the most disappointing award on the list and the song is that too.

14. Florida Panthers

This one is pretty harmless and fun. I especially like the compressed sounding panther growl. But as a team getting scored on I’d just be mildly bobbing my head and getting ready for my next shift.

13. Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes have one of the few songs that feature lyrics that are connected to the location of the team. That’s a plus I suppose. Otherwise, I find the song a little cringe-worthy with lyrics like “Take your shirt off, twist it ‘round yo’ hand — Spin it like a helicopter”.

12. Philadelphia Flyers

This might be the most ambitious hockey goal song crossover ever. Kid Cudi’s Pursuit of Happiness followed by Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes followed up by Slow Down by Showtek. Miraculously it’s not completely horrible. It succeeds greatly in the annoyance department. This song’s really obnoxious and fits Philadelphia like a glove. It’s definitely the best worst song on this list.

11. Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins have an energetic song about partying hard. I like the message and its one that only a few teams could unironically use actually having something to party about. We’re moving onto the top ten and the competition isn’t tough.

10. Vegas Golden Knights

Vegas has a really cheesy song by Panic! At the Disco called Vegas Lights. It’s pretty much what you’d expect and I feel like the Golden Knights could go even sillier with their song choice. It features no “hey’s” or “woo’s” solidifying it’s top ten placing. It’s not that hard, is it?

9. Winnipeg Jets

The goal song of the Jets could as well be in a car commercial. However, it’s very clear, minimal and the message is on point: “Gonna celebrate”. The song is fast, encourages movement and seems pretty annoying to hear for the opposing team and its fans. The corporate sound leaves it from the very top placings.

8. San Jose Sharks

Isn’t it just a feel-good song that makes you want to dance? It isn’t anything super inventive but stands out from the crop. It just works.

7. Anaheim Ducks

To me, this song sounds like hockey and therefore fits perfectly as a goal song. As a minus, it’s called “Bro Hymn”.

6. Chicago Blackhawks

Sure, it’s played out and it sucks but that’s what makes it great. It’s the single most annoying goal song according to many and the success of the franchise made it that much worse. The annoyance factor is off the charts. But it’s not good enough as a song to be ranked higher.

5. Tampa Bay Lightning

The way the Bolts are playing and the way the song sounds, I would suggest you to INVEST, INVEST, INVEST because the annoyance levels are going to rise in the coming years. I love how in your face the song is but in a celebratory way where you’re still having fun listening to it. It’s pretty perfect!

4. Toronto Maple Leafs

What is this, a listenable goal song? The song’s good and its happy-go-lucky feel is surely annoying to hear for the opposing team. I hate to call the song choice “classy” but it is.

3. Nashville Predators

This is one of the ones that fit the team so well starting out with some country. I just love the lyric of “I don’t know what it is about ‘bout the Predators scorin’ But I like it, I love it, I want some more of it”. It sounds wholesome. That’s obviously followed by “Hey, you suck!”.

2. Boston Bruins

Kernkraft 400 just works. Zombie Nation (Sports Chant Remix) is one of the most famous sports chants and there’s a reason for it. You can’t help but get hyped up and the Bruins own that song for hockey. There’s nothing really imaginative about the song choice but it gets the fans going. Some people have told me that the song will get old one day but to them, I’ll say I don’t think so and I’ll live forever.

1. Buffalo Sabres

It’s something different! It really is! There aren’t really other hip-hop songs on the list except for Carolina’s but Buffalo’s song is a lot more fun and positive. The whole thing is quite simple which makes it work like nothing else. “Here we go now!” is not “hey” or “woo”. The song also makes you want to move and it’s also got the annoyance factor. The part after “now listen” has horns (I’m no musician) that feel like they’re mocking the opponents. And they do it without words unlike Nashville’s “you suck” lyrics. Marvelous!