Ranking all 29 goal songs in the NHL
Nothing quite builds the atmosphere of a hockey game like when the home team scores and an iconic goal song starts playing. Whether it’s catchy, fun, a massive troll job, or maybe just traumatizing for the other team and their fanbase, a goal song plays a role that might not be essential to a winning team, but it can certainly add to the experience.
As a musician who’s a music fan as much as they are a hockey fan, the goal song is one of the rare times that my two worlds collide. So since we’ve had a month of hockey and can now confirm every team’s goal song (looking at you Toronto), I wanted to take this opportunity to be able to force my music takes upon the hockey world and rank every single goal song in the NHL.
But, music is subjective, so it only seemed fair to include a couple more opinions to give a better representation of the public’s opinions on goal songs. That’s why I recruited fellow music nerd Steven Ellis, and then Mike Gould for some reason, to join in on the fun. We all submitted our own lists, but what you’ll see is the aggregated combination of them.
First, a quick dive into each writer’s selection process:
In terms of mine, my own list was created based off how prominent they are with their respective team, how much it pumps up the crowd (organically, not through generic chants), and how creative of an option it is, along with how good of a song it actually is and some bonus points if they capture the theme of the team or are from an artist from the area. No song is perfect in all these regards, so it adds some unpredictability to my list.
Mike: I don’t really have any hard-and-fast rules for what I like. Music is subjective. For goal songs, I mostly like stuff with quick beats and/or staying power. There are some songs that stick with me as being so distinctly associated with one certain team, whereas others are so generic that they could belong to any team. I also generally like melodic songs over the more metal-ish “jam session” tracks out there, but then again, there are exceptions. I dunno.
Steven: I’m a punk/metalhead, which isn’t overly represented in goal songs. And I understand why. But I also love the idea of teams having a goal song for the team, and then each player having their own to be played at the next whistle. Buffalo, you nailed it. Shoutout to DJ Jade, the music director for the Oakville Blades. That’s what she does, and it works great. And Rev Theory’s “Hell Yeah” is one of the best goal songs in hockey, period.
A couple more things to note before we begin: we will not be including the Buffalo Sabres, Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets using individual goal songs on this list and focus on the teams with one singular goal song. Also, in the case of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are apparently using four songs, we will be using their main goal song. Speaking of which…
29. Toronto Maple Leafs (“Dup Dup” by Mickie Krause)
Mike’s Rank: 29th
Scott’s Rank: 23rd
Steven’s Rank: 28th
Mike: I always suspected Leafs fans wouldn’t realize what they had with the Hall & Oates song until it was too late. That could’ve been their Chelsea Dagger and they just let it go for … this. They just copied the Avs! Not only did they get rid of an all-time great bop in You Make My Dreams, they didn’t even come with anything original to replace it! Thank goodness the Leafs aren’t still owned by the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, because they flat-out just copied Colorado’s homework.
Scott: I thought Hall & Oates had all the potential in the world to be an elite troll song like Chelsea Dagger, but I get why the vibes feel stale after hearing it echo through an empty stadium in 2021 as William Nylander scored with under two minutes left to cut Montreal’s lead to only two goals in Game 7 after blowing a 3-1 series lead to a Habs team they should have beat. That said, there are so many better options (“I’m Blue” by Eiffel 65 is right there), and they even have a better one already in their roster with “Panama” by Van Halen as their Original Six goal song. I’m curious to see what the other two are, but this as their main song is a bad one. Not the worst, but not great either.
28. Los Angeles Kings (“Power Ride” by Fred Coury)
Mike’s Rank: 27th
Scott’s Rank: 26th
Steven’s Rank: 24th
Mike: Painfully bland. Sounds like something that would play in an NHL video game where they couldn’t afford to license music so they hired a local band to jam out in the server room for an hour.
27. Tampa Bay Lightning (“Goons” by Mona)
Mike’s Rank: 25th
Scott’s Rank: 24th
Steven’s Rank: 25th
Steven: It’s just nothing special, really. Like, it’s not bad. It gets the crowd pumped up, but it’s incredibly generic. All there is to it.
Mike: Hired goons?
26. Montreal Canadiens (“Canadiens Goal Song” by Antoine Beck)
Mike’s Rank: 22nd
Scott’s Rank: 27th
Steven’s Rank: 22nd
Scott: This just feels like a really generic goal song, and what makes it worse is that they changed it from a much better goal song in “Le but”.
Mike: Ah, yes. “Canadiens Goal Song”. That’s one of my favorite songs. I’m kidding, of course, because this song is about as unique and distinctive as its cookie-cutter title.
25. Vancouver Canucks (“Don’t You Forget About Me” by Simple Minds)
Mike’s Rank: 9th
Scott’s Rank: 29th
Steven’s Rank: 27th
Steven: I don’t really get this as a goal song. It’s just a weird choice. And the chorus is really, really annoying.
Scott: It’s the perfect example of a good song that is a terrible goal song. Just no energy to it at all. I literally have this song on my playlist I use to fall asleep, you want to tell me that’s a good song to get the crowd pumped up after an overtime winner? As bad as some of the other songs are on here, they at least achieve the job of getting the crowd going, the Canucks are the only one who failed the easiest of assignments.
Mike: I’ve been to a few Canucks games since they switched to this song. I know a lot of fans in Vancouver want them to switch back to Green Day but I dunno. I didn’t like Don’t You Forget About Me at first but it’s just so funny that a team actually uses it for this purpose that it shifts all the way back around to being good. La la la la!
24. St. Louis Blues (“Let’s Go Blues” by The Urge)
Mike’s Rank: 19th
Scott’s Rank: 20th
Steven’s Rank: 26th
Steven: The instrumental is solid, but I’ll dock points for any song that just “Let’s go (insert team here)!” Except Dallas. Pantera is great.
Scott: As far as generic goal songs that were written for the team, this one at least has some catchiness to it and the organ leading into it is cool. That said, they’re missing out on much better opportunities for either a blues song like “Bad to the Bone” or something from a St. Louis native like Chuck Berry. You’re called the Blues for christ sake, utilize it!
23. Philadelphia Flyers (“Ain’t Talking About Love” by Van Halen)
Mike’s Rank: 23rd
Scott’s Rank: 18th
Steven’s Rank: 23rd
Mike: I get why they used this part of the song, it’s not a bad riff, but it’s not really distinctive. Does Van Halen really scream “Philly” to anyone? You could tell me any of these teams in the bottom 10 used this — OK, maybe not Vancouver — and I’d believe you.
22. Carolina Hurricanes (“Raise Up” by Petey Pablo)
Mike’s Rank: 26th
Scott’s Rank: 10th
Steven’s Rank: 20th
Steven: I know the fanbase likes it, and that’s fine. It’s just not really memorable as an outsider.
Scott: Yeah, the Carolina aspect of it is what makes me rate it higher than most on here, but it’s also a relatively hype song. It could improve if the audio was actually listenable through the broadcast.
Mike: I disagree with using “hype” as an adjective.
Scott: You’re an adjective.
21. Colorado Avalanche (“Chase the Sun” by Planet Funk)
Mike’s Rank: 6th
Scott’s Rank: 28th
Steven’s Rank: 21st
Steven: The beat is generic and the “hey hey hey” isn’t original, either. When I think Colorado Avalanche, I think Blink-182. Might be the only team with a song played at the commercial break being bigger than the goal song.
Mike: This song feels like it should play before a Bundesliga game or something. I actually think it’s pretty similar to the one the Oilers use, but my primal aversion to that song — induced, no doubt, by my Calgarian-ness — docks it down a few points in my rankings. That’s not the case here. Shine on, Avs!
Scott: I saw this one and was just bewildered that something so generic could be a goal song. I agree with Steven, it may as well be “All the Small Things.”
20. New York Rangers (“Slap Shot” by Ray Castoldi)
Mike’s Rank: 17th
Scott’s Rank: 21st
Steven’s Rank: 17th
Scott: Outside of St. Louis, this is probably my favourite of the generic chant goal songs, so I’ll give the Rangers that, but I much prefer it when a team utilizes an already-created song that fits the vibe and the team brand. It does stick though.
Mike: It feels like the Rangers have used this song forever. I don’t see any reason for them to change it, even if it’s not the most unique or memorable. It’s fine.
19. Nashville Predators (“I Like It, I Love It” by Tim McGraw; “Gold on the Ceiling” by The Black Keys)
Mike’s Rank: 18th
Scott’s Rank: 17th
Steven’s Rank: 18th
Mike: I kind of love the audacity of picking two songs, and both of them have their merits. I’ve never really been one for that Honky-Tonk business, but it obviously fits the theme of having a team in Nashville. I know how Steven feels about the Black Keys and I’m actually surprised he ranked the Preds this high.
Scott: To be fair, “Gold on the Ceiling” is one of the few songs by the Black Keys that has genuine energy and works as a goal song. Tim McGraw also fits perfectly with the Nashville vibes for obvious reasons, and they could have picked much, much worse country songs for this one.
18. Edmonton Oilers (“Fluxland” by XL)
Mike’s Rank: 15th
Scott’s Rank: 25th
Steven’s Rank: 13th
Mike: Again, I actually think this song is pretty neat. One thing that I like in a goal song is a fast, recurring beat — something you can tap your toes or dance to, naturally increases your heart rate, and starts while the horn is still sounding. The Sharks have that, and the Oilers have that. It works.
Scott: I get why it’s an okay goal song, but this song sucks. It was bad when the Lightning used it, and it just feels even lazier with the Oilers taking it, like they’re trying to pretend to be a winner.
17. Pittsburgh Penguins (“Party Hard” by Andrew W.K.)
Mike’s Rank: 28th
Scott’s Rank: 14th
Steven’s Rank: 10th
Scott: This one’s just a fun one. I don’t take the song itself too seriously, especially imagining someone as stoic as Sidney Crosby bumping to it, but it does the trick of being a good goal song, it just needs to be more prominent in the audio from a broadcast perspective.
16. Arizona Coyotes (“Howling for You” by the Black Keys)
Mike’s Rank: 1st
Scott’s Rank: 19th
Steven’s Rank: 29th
Scott: This one clearly divided the three of us. For me, it just isn’t that energetic of a goal song outside of the duh-duh-duh-duh-duh’s that get the crowd involved. I didn’t rank it super low because it’s still better than the generic chant ones, but it’s one of the worst of the goal songs that is known song. I appreciate keeping to the coyote theme, but there are better options, like “Bark at the Moon” by Ozzy Osbourne. Heck, there’s a better song with “Howl” in the name that’s on this list.
Steven: There’s no such thing as a good Black Keys song.
Mike: Perfection! No bias here. The fans get super into it when this plays. It’s infectious and just the right level of annoying.
15. Florida Panthers (“Move Your Body” by Ownboss ft. Sevek)
Mike’s Rank: 20th
Scott’s Rank: 15th
Steven’s Rank: 14th
Scott: Not the most creative song choice, but it’s a solid bop and kind of has the club vibe which fits into the Florida brand, although that description would be more fitting if the team played in Miami though.
Mike: I miss “Sweetness”! It was great. This is mostly just an anonymous choice. Nothing to write home about.
Scott: Okay true, “Sweetness” was a really good goal song.
14. Dallas Stars (“Puck Off” by Pantera)
Mike’s Rank: 14th
Scott’s Rank: 22rd
Steven’s Rank: 3rd
Mike: I don’t (Dallas!) think this (Stars!) is a (Dallas!) great song (Stars!). But Stars fans love it, you can’t deny it’s memorable, and it has an extremely unique connection in that it was created exclusively for the purpose of being a goal song.
Scott: It’s cool that a band as notable as Pantera made a goal song for a hockey team, but it’s very generic, although a majority of the metal genre falls under that umbrella in my opinion. The chant works, but yeah, it feels a bit lazy.
13. Anaheim Ducks (“Bro Hymn” by Pennywise)
Mike’s Rank: 16th
Scott’s Rank: 9th
Steven’s Rank: 12th
Steven: NHL 13, baby. One of the only redeeming factors of that game. High energy, like it should be.
Scott: Yeah, the NHL 13 nostalgia gives it a few bonus points for me, but the Ducks have also kept with it for so long that it works.
12. San Jose Sharks (“Get Ready for This” by 2 Unlimited)
Mike’s Rank: 8th
Scott’s Rank: 13th
Steven’s Rank: 15th
Scott: A song called “Get Ready for This” feels a bit anticlimactic for the 2023-24 San Jose Sharks, but it has that ideal combination of being fun, pumping the crowd up, and including chants to get them involved, all while being a song that doesn’t feel like it was created in a lab specifically for the Sharks. Although with the meme mostly dead at this point, “Baby Shark” would be a funny one.
Mike: Like I said, I love a quick beat. This song clearly got in opponents’ heads back when the Sharks were good, too. The more tambourine, the better.
11. New Jersey Devils (“Howl” by The Gaslight Anthem)
Mike’s Rank: 21st
Scott’s Rank: 8th
Steven’s Rank: 7th
Steven: It sounds celebratory enough without being overly annoying. I can’t say I’d remember it without someone telling me it was the Devils’ song, but it gets the job done.
Mike: Incredibly generic.
10. Vegas Golden Knights (“Vegas Lights” by Panic! At the Disco)
Mike’s Rank: 24th
Scott’s Rank: 6th
Steven’s Rank: 5th
Scott: This is one of Panic!’s better songs, and is a solid choice for the Golden Knights considering that Brendan Urie is a Vegas native, plus if you squint hard enough, it sounds like he says “Vegas Knights”. Maybe you could have gone with another Vegas band like the Killers with “Mr. Brightside,” but this one definitely does the trick.
Mike: I just don’t really understand the appeal. I can barely even hear the song on TV whenever the Knights score, and it doesn’t sound much better in isolation on YouTube.
9. Calgary Flames (“TNT” by AC/DC)
Mike’s Rank: 12th
Scott’s Rank: 12th
Steven’s Rank: 4th
Mike: The Flames have been using this for a few years now and I think it really works. I like the low note the guitar strikes just after the horn starts. It definitely hits in the arena, too. Yahoo!
Scott: This is fine as far as goal songs are concerned. It fits the brand and gets the crowd into it, but it could use a bit more energy. Maybe this is just my dislike of AC/DC dropping it down more than it should, but honestly I’m surprised I put it as high as I did because of that. That said, there are plenty of fire-related songs to choose from that could be an improvement. My suggestion, at least for chaos and fun: “Burnin’ Up” by the Jonas Brothers.
8. New York Islanders (“Crowd Chant” by Joe Satriani)
Mike’s Rank: 12th
Scott’s Rank: 12th
Steven’s Rank: 4th
Steven: I can attribute a lot of my music tastes to NHL video games. This brings me back to NHL 2K9. I like Satriani’s work, and this is memorable as heck.
Scott: It’s cheesy as hell and definitely designed to get the crowd involved instead of that organically happening on it’s own, but it’s still a great song.
7. Minnesota Wild (“Shout” by The Isley Brothers)
Mike’s Rank: 13th
Scott’s Rank: 3rd
Steven’s Rank: 11th
Scott: It’s a great song, has a great source of energy, and gets the crowd involved, and I think I also like it because it’s not a song you’d expect to be a goal song either, and yet it works. The only way the Wild could improve is if they went local and did Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy.”
6. Seattle Kraken (“Lithium” by Nirvana)
Mike’s Rank: 5th
Scott’s Rank: 4th
Steven’s Rank: 16th
Mike: I dunno what the hell Steven is thinking here. This is one of the very best goal songs in the league today. It has an obvious regional connection and is super memorable. Terrific pairing with Seattle’s bass-heavy foghorn.
Scott: I applaud their ability to incorporate a “Let’s Go Kraken” cheer in there, although I bet that’s the exact reason Steven ranked it as low as he did.
5. Ottawa Senators (“Song 2” by Blur)
Mike’s Rank: 11th
Scott’s Rank: 11th
Steven’s Rank: 2nd
Steven: I’m not one for generic, overused goal songs, but it just fits. Every time I hear it, I think hockey goal song. And I know I’m not alone.
Scott: It’s a great goal song, my only issue is that it’s been done before, so it feels like a very lazy choice, which was quite fitting during the Eugene Melnyk era.
Mike: Yeah, it always felt like old Gene picked the first (or, in this case, second) song on his playlist and just called it a day. But it works.
4. Boston Bruins (“Kernkraft 400” by Zombie Nation)
Mike’s Rank: 4th
Scott’s Rank: 1st
Steven’s Rank: 19th
Mike: The crowd chant aspect of it is great. It’s got a great beat and a very distinctive, annoying quality. This song flat-out induces dread. If, say, your team is up 4–1 in a game and suddenly you hear this song once, you immediately start thinking about hearing it two or three more times. And that’s terrifying — unless you cheer for the Bruins. Leafs fans best beware.
Scott: I alluded to the ability to traumatize hockey fans as a reason for a song doing well on my list, and I think no song captures that better than “Kernkraft 400.” Every time I hear it, I see Patrice Bergeron leaping in the air. Even when I would get blown out in floor hockey games in high school, I heard “Kernkraft 400” in my head when the opponent scored on my team. It is so ingrained in Boston’s dominant culture that it terrifies fans of the Leafs, Canucks, and many more. The fact the Bruins stole this goal song from the Leafs and then used it against them is some big stick energy, so I respect it and give them my top spot.
3. Columbus Blue Jackets (“For Those About to Rock” by AC/DC; “The Whip” by Locksley)
Mike’s Rank: 7th
Scott’s Rank: 7th
Steven’s Rank: 6th
Mike: The songs and the cannon coalesce in a wonderful way with this one. It’s funny how the Blue Jackets have never had very much success and yet this entire sonic combo has nevertheless become essentially unimpeachable. Try to imagine the Blue Jackets ever shifting away from this — you can’t. Why would they?
Scott: It’s the Megamind quote about how what makes a supervillain a supervillain is presentation. The cannon alone will put the Blue Jackets in the top 10, but as someone who got into hockey in 2011 when the Leafs used “The Whip” as their goal song, this does feel a bit nostalgic for me as well.
2. Chicago Blackhawks (“Chelsea Dagger” by The Fratellis)
Mike’s Rank: 2nd
Scott’s Rank: 2nd
Steven’s Rank: 9th
Scott: I mean, it’s iconic at this point. You can’t hear this song without imagining Patrick Kane power-sliding after a clutch overtime goal. It’s catchy and acts as a bit of a troll to the opposition, and the fact that Chicago had success to go along with it means it probably won’t go away.
Mike: Even with how much the Blackhawks undeniably suck on a macro level, this is still the iconic hockey goal song.
1. Detroit Red Wings (“Without Me” by Eminem)
Mike’s Rank: 3rd
Scott’s Rank: 5th
Steven’s Rank: 1st
Steven: How did it take this long for Eminem to get the call here? I love that they picked the most annoying part to really rub it in the face of their opponents when they score.
Mike: It’s definitely the new Chelsea Dagger challenger. If the Red Wings ever return to the playoffs and go far, it could go even higher on my own personal list. It really works.
Scott: The second I heard this was the new goal song, the Wings skyrocketed up my list. I think this would be even more of a vibe if they cut to the chorus after the horns while the players were celebrating, especially when “this looks like a job for me, so everybody just follow me” fits the bill for the celebrations lyrically, but the annoying part is also the perfect troll. It’s only been a month, but this is turning into an all-timer.