What the NHL could learn from Australia

Stirling Wood
Jul 10, 2017 · 2 min read

Is it time that ice hockey adopts a tradition from the Southern Hemisphere?

PK Subban and the Nashville faithful (John Russell/Getty images)

Yes the penguins won. Yeah Crosby has another ring. And yes, he earned it. But perhaps the most entertaining moments of this year’s final were provided by the Nashville Predators’ fans. Never before have I anticipated the goal call of the home arena’s announcer. Never have I looked forward to the response of the home fans. And I got goosebumps every time.

Maybe the chants from the Nashville crowd wasn’t enough to help them win the cup, but it was enough to change the game. Finally hockey is ready for some of the ceremony and tradition that has been enshrined in international sport centuries ago.

Living in Australia for the past 2 years I became mesmerised by the spectacle that is the AFL; an incredibly demanding sport with some of the most committed fans I’ve ever seen. When the final buzzer sounds, regardless of who the home team was, the stadium plays the song of the victor, and once they reach the dressing room, the winners sing along. A routine built on tradition, but continued for the connection it establishes between the players and the fans.

Hockey needs this.

The Sydney Swans victory song (Brett Hemmings/Getty Images)

So what are we waiting for? As a lifelong oilers fan I have taken the liberty of composing my own rendition of what our victory song might sound like. I am not a poet, or a lyricist, so don’t be too harsh in your critique. Whether or not oil country agrees on these lyrics, the time has come for us to write our own song into the history books. Our own time-tested tradition.
Here goes nothing:

I am an oiler through and through,
In my veins I bleed orange and blue,
From Gretzky, Fuhr and Messier too,
We know what it means to wear orange and blue;

A history rich with legends and fans,
Five banners hang in the stands,
New blood brought in to win the sixth,
We’ll wear this sweater with passion and grit!

Whether or not this becomes our official song, I hope our beloved sport can take initiative from the Nashville fans - and from the glory of Australian football history. It is time that our sport develops its own traditions.

Stirling Wood

Written by

Hockey fan from Edmonton, Canada studying law in Sydney, Australia

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade