Goal songs are a staple of the NHL fan experience. Their mere presence can amplify the emotions of a game if they are chosen right. Take the Chicago Blackhawks, for example – Chelsea Dagger is perfect. It’s catchy, upbeat, and annoying to hear ringing through the United Center for visiting teams. Rather than having a goal song for the team, the Buffalo Sabres are continuing a new tradition where each player picks their personalized goal song. The personal touch is innovative and exciting. It creates engaging scenarios where NHL fans, regardless of who they root for, may cheer for a player to score to hear their absurd, excellent, or outright hilarious choice.
For this list, points were given if a song was catchy, funny, or would be annoying for visiting teams to hear as hats rain down onto the ice. Of course, music is subjective. What you think is catchy and fun may seem dull and uninspiring to others. That’s the beautiful thing about music. Regardless, here is a tiered ranking of the 20 songs Sabres fans could hear on gamedays at KeyBank Center.
A Tier: Please Score 40 Goals
Jeff Skinner: ‘Breaking Free’ by Troy Bolton & Gabriella Montez
Jeff Skinner might be the funniest player in the NHL. His charisma knows no boundaries. Following up last season’s pick of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” with “Breaking Free” from the High School Musical soundtrack is about as perfect as a sequel gets. Between Skinners ‘Between Two Stalls’ series, his iconic photo with Taylor Swift, and nailing his yearly goal-song selection, it’s clear he has one of, if not the best, personalities in the game.
“Breaking Free” is a flawless pick from a flawless man.
Tyson Jost: ‘One More Time’ by Daft Punk
“One More Time” is an all-time EDM classic. The lyrics are perfect for fans to chant, the beat creates an ideal dance atmosphere, and the bass will sound exceptional over the speakers in KeyBank Center. Props to Tyson Jost for going with a classic, albeit easy, pick for his goal song.
Daft Punk knows how to make bangers, don’t they?
Victor Olofsson: ‘Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!’ by ABBA
Any ABBA track is a cheat code for an A-tier placement, but “Gimmie! Gimmie! Gimmie!” might be the best choice for a goal song from their catalog. No other notes are needed; an A+ pick by Victor Olofsson.
Jordan Greenway: ‘Grove St. Party’ by Waka Flocka Flame & Kebo Gotti
“IT’S A PARTY, IT’S A PARTY, IT’S A PARTY!” “Grove St. Party” is a superb pick from purely an energy standpoint. Its infectious chorus is easy for fans to shout, and the iconic early 2010s trap beat will create an electric setting.
Jordan Greenway picked an exceptional goal song—a high-energy track for a high-energy player.
B Tier: Nearly Perfect
Tage Thompson: ‘Fishing In The Dark’ by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
This shouldn’t work as a goal song; nothing about “Fishing In The Dark” screams hockey. However, the country-blues tune is catchy, amusing, and fascinating to hear ring through KeyBank Center. I can’t fully comprehend why it works, but it makes me chuckle whenever I think about it as a goal song. Tage Thompson used it last season and double-downed on the campy 1980s record this season, and I absolutely love that he did.
Owen Power: ‘POWER’ by Kanye West
Owen Power choosing “POWER” as his goal song is fantastic branding. The track is one of the most iconic sports songs of the 2010s, is a staple of in-arena hype music, and, despite being a tad overplayed, is overplayed for a reason. Considering the controversies the song’s artist has gotten into over the years, it’s understandable if some fans aren’t particularly fond of Power going with POWER.
Rasmus Dahlin: “HUMBLE” by Kendrick Lamar
The heavy bass and stellar beat will pair nicely with the pop from goals by the star defenseman. The repeating chorus of “sit down, be humble” over and over again will inevitably annoy opposing teams. I love this pick from Rasmus Dahlin, and I’m shocked it hasn’t been used before.
Jacob Bryson: ‘Narco’ by Blasterjaxx & Timmy Trumpet
“Narco” by Blasterjaxx and Timmy Trumpet is best recognized as New York Mets closer Edwin DÃaz’s walk-up song. Although, it’s completely understandable why Jacob Bryson opted to use it as his goal song.
“Narco’s” iconic trumpets are flat-out epic. The underlying trap beat helps keep the song upbeat and irresistible to hum. The larger-than-life feeling it emits will pair nicely with Sabres fans celebrating when Bryson unleashes a roaring slap shot from the blue line.
C Tier: All-Around Solid Choices
Connor Clifton: ‘I Wanna Rock’ by Twisted Sister
It’s easy to imagine fans chanting ‘ROCK’ between the song’s guitar rifts. “I Wanna Rock” is a classic record, but it’s a little too generic to rank higher.
Zemgus Girgensons: ‘Party Till We Die’ by MAKJ, Timmy Trumpet & Andrew W.K.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Zemgus Girgensons is tripling down this year after using the catchy EDM song for the last two seasons. “Party Till We Die” will make KeyBank Center feel like a party, but it’s starting to get stale.
Casey Mittelstadt: ‘Juke Box Hero’ by Foreigner
An overall solid pick. It will be exhilarating to hear the chorus blast after a Casey Mittelstadt overtime winner, but similar to other songs in these mid-lower tiers, it just can’t compare to those above it.
Peyton Krebs: ‘Rasputin‘ by Boney M.
The Euro-disco tune is fun, hilarious, and annoying for visiting teams to hear. It checks all the boxes for an A-tier or B-tier placement, but it’s quite corny and gets old after a few listens.
Mattias Samuelsson: ‘The Motto’ by Drake & Lil Wayne
“The Motto” is the first of two Drake songs to appear on the list. It’s a braggadocious banger that will easily excite the crowd. The vibes are great, but it falls short of B-tier as it doesn’t have the same wow factor or pop the other tracks have.
D Tier: Not Bad, but Not Great Either
Erik Johnson: ‘Land of 1000 Dances’ by Wilson Pickett
The 1960s track could see fans break into the twist following an Erik Johnson goal. It’s a classic R&B and Soul track, but it’s hard to imagine “Land of 1000 Dances” becoming a memorable goal song, especially since it’s doubtful fans will hear it that often.
Kyle Okposo: ‘Started From the Bottom’ by Drake
Picking an iconic Drake song from his arguably best era is always a safe bet. Still, it’s hard to warrant a higher placement, considering a different track from the artist outmatches it.
JJ Peterka: ‘Freed From Desire’ by Gala Rizzatto
It’s a fun dance song, but it doesn’t blow me away.
Alex Tuch: ‘Heads Will Roll’ by Yeah Yeah Yeahs & A-Trak
“Heads Will Roll” is a classic synth-pop, alternative dance with a good amount of personality to it. Although, it’s slightly corny, overplayed, and generic, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t work.
Dylan Cozens: ‘White Horse’ by Chris Stapleton
Chris Stapleton’s blues-country hit record “White Horse” is boring as far as goal songs go. It lacks that annoying element that can tick off opponents and is hard to chant along to. Dylan Cozens, a Whitehorse, YT native, picks up points for choosing a song that shares a name with his hometown, even though Stapleton isn’t singing about the actual city.
Henri Jokiharju: ‘The Trooper’ by Iron Maiden
This isn’t meant to hate on Iron Maiden. The heavy metal band is an iconic and influential group in music history, and “The Trooper” is a respectable pick. However, the Washington Capitals proved that “The Wicker Man” is a better goal song from the band.
Zach Benson ‘Undefeated’ by charlieonnafriday
“Undefeated” is painfully average. It’s not overly exciting, won’t annoy the opposing team, and while the chorus is singable for fans, it doesn’t match up to the other songs chosen by other Sabres players. It is upbeat and fun, but overall it’s a lacklustre choice.
Considering the excitement surrounding Benson and the skill he presents, it wouldn’t be surprising if this song rippled through KeyBank Center upwards of 10 times this season.
Related: Ranking the Jets’ 2023-24 Individual Goal Songs
Do you agree or disagree with the author’s rankings? Which goal songs are your favorite? Comment below!