Chicago Blackhawks to keep Chelsea Dagger as they enter new era

Chicago Blackhawks will keep Chelsea Dagger, have no plans to change goal song

The Chicago Blackhawks are entering a new era. With No.1 overall pick Connor Bedard leading the way. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews have now left Chicago, there are now zero players from the Stanley Cup-winning teams of 2010, 2013, and 2015 left on the current roster.

This has led to discussion among the fanbase. What the team should do about the goal song? The Hawks have used Chelsea Dagger as their lone goal song since the 2008-09 season.

On Tuesday, Blackhawks president of business operations Jaime Faulkner joined the Blackhawks Talk Podcast and said that there are no plans to change the goal song.

“I can say, this year, that is our goal song,” Faulkner said. “It’s not even on our roadmap. We are not talking at all about changing the goal song. I agree with you, it’s weird that that’s part of the conversation. but nope, we will be the same goal song and hopefully, we hear it a ton this year.”

Chelsea Dagger has become synonymous with the Blackhawks. The song is part of the team and fan base’s identity. Change for the sake of change isn’t a good reason to retire the song.

Some fans online have suggested individual goal songs for each player. Which the Hawks have done in the past. Prior to the 08-09 season, there were individual goal songs for players.

This creates some logistical issues as well. What if it is not immediately inherently obvious who scored the goal? Was the shot deflected? Did the puck come off someone’s shin pad? There is no time to look at the replay before playing the song.

Faulkner also addressed another factor in keeping one individual song, music licensing.

“Music licensing is a huge ordeal now, and while we can license music to be played in the arena, we want to share goal highlights on our social media channels and you’ve got to get licenses for that, too,” Faulkner said. “It just becomes really complicated, a lot more complicated than I think people realize in sharing what’s happening in-arena out on our social channels. So we’re focusing on a lot of other things right now, that not being one of them.”

The full Blackhawks Talk Podcast featuring Danny Wirtz and Jamie Faulkner can be watched here.