In 1973, the Chicago Blackhawks reached the Stanley Cup Finals where they prepared to face off against the dominant Montreal Canadiens in a rematch of the 1971 Finals. Before the series, Blackhawks owner Bill WIrtz installed his yacht horn onto the roof of the Chicago Stadium and began blaring the horn after home goals. While the Hawks would lose the series and the Canadiens would win their 18th Stanley Cup, a tradition had been founded. Ever since that 1973 season, the goal horn has become a staple of the NHL, with every team having a unique horn that tapers to their franchise identity and city of residence. The concept has even been applied to other sports, with teams such as Atlanta United in the MLS, the Toronto Blue Jays of the MLB, and the Indianapolis Colts of the NFL also implementing their own form of horns after home team scores. While there are 32 horns in the league, only a few can be the best of the best. Here are the 5 best horns in the NHL
Top 5 Goal Horns in the NHL
5: Dallas Stars
The newest franchise in this ranking, the Dallas Stars have been chasing a unique identity ever since their departure from Minnesota. Their horn in 1998 has certainly contributed to their distinct identity in the league, and it accompanied Stars goals through their first Stanley Cup in 1999. While Dallas has been rather stagnant in recent years, their horn makes all Stars games a must watch. With the horn, the Stars play “Puck Off” by local band Pantera.
4: New York Rangers
While playoff success has eluded this team throughout their time with the horn, there have been no shortage of iconic goals for the New York Rangers accompanied by the unique sound of their repurposed fire engine horn. The sound is uniquely New York and is one of the few horns in the league that makes for a fun listening experience even without the visual of the ice. Slapshot by Ray Castoldi accompanies the blasts of the horn following scores from The Broadway Blueshirts.
3: Chicago Blackhawks
The oldest horn in the league and the one that started the craze in 1973 when owner Bill Wirtz played his yacht horn during goals in that year’s Stanley Cup Finals, the Blackhawks horn has been the perfect soundtrack to the many eye-popping goals of the early 2010s dynasty which saw them capture 3 Stanley Cups in 5 years. Love them or hate them (though most hate them), the Hawks have a killer horn. In addition to the horn, the Chicago Blackhawks play Chelsea Dagger by The Fratellis
2: Pittsburgh Penguins
“Penguins win it! And they go to the final!” That iconic Kunitz goal and the legacy of Sid’s Penguins in an audible form, especially since the sound was revealed to Penguins fans with Crosby’s first year in the league. Even as a longtime Capitals and specifically Ovechkin fan, I must admit that the Penguins made the absolute correct decision when it came to their horn. The horn is accompanied by Party Hard by Andrew W.K.
1: Los Angeles Kings
Alec Martinez is truly the man who won me over with this horn. His 2014 Stanley Cup winning goal in overtime absolutely cemented this horn to me as the best in the league, and even without this pristine moment, the blaring train horn would still be a top tier horn across all of sports. Power Ride 2010 by Fred Coury works in tandem with the horn to create an unforgettable celebration for all Los Angeles Kings goals.
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