Time for a New Goal Song for The Blackhawks?

When a team is undergoing a major transformation, there is a call to leave things from the previous era in the past. In hockey, a team's goal song is often one of those things. With the Blackhawks no longer retaining any players from their previous three cup wins, is it time to leave Chelsea Dagger in the past?

Chelsea Dagger, by the Fratellis, has been the Blackhawks goal song since the 2008/2009 season. Prior to that, they used player specific songs for each goal scorer. The management saw the way Madison Sqaure Garden in New reacted to a single goal song that was repeated and decided that was the better route to go, per Scott King of NBC Sports Chicago.

Not every team has a specific goal song, a lot of teams will have each player have their own unique song play after they score. I think there is something special about having one consistent goal song that teams can sing along with every time their team scores. The United Center is a very exciting arena to be in when the team scores a goal, and the crowd erupts, and everyone sings along to the classic tune. Having player specific goals songs would not be the same, as they would not be heard as consistently. Additionally, players often go multiple games without scoring, making it difficult for it to catch on. Casual fans may also not know each song for each player, which would remove some of the magic from a goal and subsequent singing from the crowd.

The song became so well known that in 2010, a reporter in Vancouver played the song to its players in the locker room, and they all immediately knew what it was and were not happy. The Hawks faced the Canucks in the playoffs a couple times during those years, and the song reminded them of getting scored on by the Hawks over and over again. This just shows the song's prominence throughout the league and that it even gets a reaction out of the opposing players. It is an infecious song that will get stuck in your head and you cannot resist from singing along to.

With all of the old cup winning players gone, and a new era beginning in Chicago, should they change the song? There has been some conversation lately on social media surrounding this topic. It's a tough question and really there is no wrong or right answer. On one side, all of the reasons listed above could be an argument for why it needs to stay. It is beloved by the fanbase, instantly recognizable, and it will most likely stay that way for when the team is good again. On the other hand, you could argue that it's time to move on to a new song for a new era, and that keeping it around is trying too hard to stay in the past glory days. Kyle Graden shares his thoughts about the topic here

Both arguments make sense and people will have mixed feeling towards it. Personally, I love the song and would not be opposed to it sticking around. However, I would also not complain about a new goal song as long as it shares the similar qualities as Chelsea Dagger that make it such a great goal song. Some people are going to be upset either way, but given time, fans will embrace a new song if that is the direction the team chooses to go. When the Blackhawks eventually become good enough and if they (possibly) have a new song that works, the crowd will be singing along with it, and Chelsea Dagger will remain an iconic remnant of the previous era.

The only question that remains... what song could possibly follow up Chelsea Dagger?