Canadians know it so well, and most can sing along to at least some capacity. That’s because Canadians love hockey, and this song reflects that perfectly.

The Hockey Song by Stopmin’ Tom Connors was honoured on Wednesday when it was announced that it would be inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. This comes as no surprise, as it is a staple in the lives of those that follow Canada’s beloved sport, but it does give us a chance to check out the history of Stompin’s greatest hit.

 

 

Stompin’ Tom Connors, nicknamed for his tendency to stomp his left boot along with his song, was born in Saint John, New Brunswick. His early life was about as tough as it comes, as his mother dealt with the death of Tom’s father, John, as well as her own live-in mother Lucy, and her husband (Tom’s step grandfather) Joe, all within the short time before Tom’s relocation.

Living in the poorest part of the city, and dealing with a string of evictions even so, Connors then dealt with the death of his younger sister when he was just four years old. Connors was then adopted by a family in Prince Edward Island, where he would spend his life until running away by way of hitchhiking across Canada – a skill he learned from his mother in New Brunswick.

Connors then spent a good part of his life scraping by, using his guitar to help make ends meet. Simultaneously, he was developing as a songwriter and beginning to make his name.

He had multiple hits land during his time in the Canadian Music Industry, but the lasting one that he’ll be remembered for is The Hockey Song.

The Hockey Song was originally released in 1973 and made its way onto the album’s title, “Stompin’ Tom and the Hockey Song”. Originally taken on by the Ottawa Senators in 1992, but it really exploded after Pat Burns insisted that the song be played in the Maple Leaf Gardens as well.

Since then, the hockey anthem continued to become synonymous with the game itself, and hockey fans would sing along with the familiar lyrics as they’d belt out over the grandstand. One career highlight for Connors would have been when he performed the song on  Conan O’Brien show. The popular US late night talk show would easily have been the biggest audience Connors would ever had performed in front of, and it also marked his first performance on television.

 

 

Connors passed away in 2013 of natural causes, but he will be remembered for his warm, appreciative smile, along with his iconic left foot stomp. Congratulations, Tom!

 

Hello out there, we're on the air, it's 'Hockey Night' tonight.
Tension grows, the wistle blows, and the puck goes down the ice.
The goalie jumps, and the players bump, and the fans all go insane.
Someone roars, "Bobby Scores!", at the good ol' Hockey Game.

OH! The good ol' Hockey game, is the best game you can name.
And the best game you can name, is the good ol' Hockey game.

Second Period.

Where players dash, with skates aflash, the home team trails behind.
But they grab the puck, and go bursting up, and they're down across the line.
They storm the crease, like bumble bees, they travel like a burning flame.
We see them slide, the puck inside, it's a 1-1 hockey game.

OH! The good ol' Hockey game, is the best game you can name.
And the best game you can name, is the good ol' Hockey game.

Third Period. Last game of the playoff too!

Oh take me where, the hockey players, face off down the rink.
And the Stanley Cup, is all filled up, for the champs who win the drink.
Now the final flick, of a hockey stick, and the one gigantic scream.
"The puck is in! The home team wins!", the good ol' hockey game.

OH! The good ol' Hockey game, is the best game you can name.
And the best game you can name, is the good ol' Hockey game.

(It's in!)(He shoots, he scores!)(Henderson scores for Canada!)

 

(H/T Huffington Post)