Fanshawe Students In Hockey Anthem Challenge

Over the summer, Nick Doyle, a Fanshawe Manufacturing Engineering student, joined forces with Brett Killoran, fellow Fanshawe student in Music Industry Arts and owner of 925 records, an independent production studio, to write, record and produce Doyle's adaptation of CBC's Hockey Night in Canada theme song. "I've always had a passion for music and hockey," Doyle explains. "I used to watch hockey with my Grandpa - I'm a huge Leafs fan."

Nearing the end of last year's NHL playoff season, the rights to CBC's hockey anthem ran out and were up for grabs to the highest bidder. Instead of countering CTV's $3 million offer, CBC chose instead to challenge the Canadian public to create and choose its next anthem. Quite the challenge considering the original song has aired since 1968 as introduction to the pre-game show, before and after commercial breaks, during intermissions, in post-game highlights and all other media used to promote the game on CBC. Topping that, the winning theme will "capture the essence of our national sport, provide a signpost for great hockey programming and excite fans from coast to coast to coast," according to CBC's website. Quite the challenge indeed.

Doyle wasted no time once he heard the contest advertised in the early summer of 2008. He used Kijiji, an online classifieds site, to seek help in the recording and production of his song. Doyle had used a software program during a free trial to compose the anthem before Killoran, a "true music genius," replied to Doyle's request. Killoran conducted the instrumentals, produced the song and recorded it in his own studio. An initial entry was submitted to the challenge and upon feedback and afterthought, and after editing the vocals, a revised version was submitted a day before the contest deadline, August 31, 2008. As Doyle explains, "I canceled my Canadian Idol audition and found some time to revise the song ..."

About his version of Hockey Night in Canada's theme song, Doyle says: "95 percent of submissions are instrumental. I think people are trying to replace the old anthem, but I wanted to take it in a new direction - it's better to be the best in the smaller [vocals] group than middle-of-the-pack in the bigger [instrumental] group, right? CBC almost has to take their theme song in a different direction."

Nearly 15,000 entries have been posted online for public review, including a submission by Randy Bachman of Bachman-Turner Overdrive and the Guess Who. A panel of judges will select five semi-finalists, to be revealed on October 4, 2008, in a CBC broadcast. It will be up to fans to choose the final anthem, which will be announced to the public during the NHL opening game on October 9. The winner will receive $100,000 and 50 percent of online sales. "Of course I'd like to win," says Doyle, "I loved the whole process - creating it, learning it, sharing it - my goal is to have our entry chosen as a semi-finalist."

Check it out at http://anthemchallenge.cbc.ca/mediadetail/325940 and stay tuned for Hockey Night in Canada's new theme song, airing early October.