WORLDWIDE RAVES FOR EDMONTON’S ROUSING RENDITION
When Kissel’s mike went out, the fans responded just like for Paul Lorieau in ’06
The Edmonton Oilers lost a Stanley Cup playoff hockey game. The City of Champions won a greater victory.
Rave reviews are coming from all over the world of sport, indeed the world, for the historic happening when Edmonton country and western star Brett Kissel took to the ice to sing the U.S. National Anthem with a dead mike.
Kissel motioned for the crowd to sing it for him and they did. Oh how they did.
“It turned into a magical moment. That’s probably the best way for me to describe it,” said Kissel.
“We had 19,000 Canadians singing another country’s national anthem.”
Kissel, who has already won acclaim as a country and western singer and had the thrill of opening for Garth Brooks nine shows here said NOT singing Sunday night ranks way up there on his own thrill meter.
“What happened Sunday night was unbelievable. A moment like Sunday night is something I’ll never forget and no matter what happens in my career from here, it’s going to rank as one of the top moments of my career.
“I think it’s extra special that Rogers Place being such a new building has already made so many lifelong memories.”
A lot of people watching the game at home could hear Kissel.
“What they could hear on TV was completely different than what was going on in the arena,” he said.
“For the TV feed the microphone just worked fine. However, in the arena it wasn’t working and if no one could hear me, I was thinking ‘Oh my God, what do I do?
“What happens next? It was, for me, without question a pretty scary moment.
“I thought of Paul Lorieau,” he said of the anthem singer who held the mike to the crowd after singing a few bars of O Canada prior to Game 3 against the Ducks in 2006.
“With what happened with the mikes going down and Oil Country coming to the rescue, it kind of became an extension of Paul’s legacy.”
The whole thing went viral Monday.
“It’s been amazing, some of the news publications and TV stations around the world have just eaten this up,” he said. USA Today wrote about it. “Before Game 3 of the Stanley Cup playoffs between the Ducks and Oilers in Edmonton, apparent microphone issues left the Oilers fans on the hook to help with the U.S. anthem. Well, it was not a problem. The 18,000 Canadian fans put together an excellent rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner for their guests from Anaheim. They did so unassisted.”
American commentator Keith Olbermann tweeted about it. “This is unexpectedly moving.” Ducks owners Henry and Susan Samueli asked your correspondent pass on this statement to Oilers fans.
“Congratulations to the Edmonton fans for creating such a special moment by singing both the national anthems. To hear the audience passionately sing both Canadian and United States anthems was inspiring and powerful. Well done, Edmonton.”
The Samuelis later passed the statement on to the Oilers to put it on their website.
St. Louis-born and raised Edmonton Oiler Pat Maroon spoke to it when asked how he felt about it standing for the anthems when it happened.
“For all those Canadians to sing the American anthem in that situation was pretty special to me. Everybody in Edmonton should be proud.”
Jim Johnson, the Americanborn and raised Oilers assistant coach, also offered response to what happened here that by morning was by far a bigger story than the result the night before.
“It hit me like it hit me in Game 1 of the first series when the crowd sang the Canadian anthem. It didn’t surprise me that when there was a mike failure they did that for the American anthem. I really think it speaks to the character of the people here in Edmonton. It was one of those special feelings. They didn’t miss a beat.”
Head coach Todd McLellan is a Saskatchewan product but coached, lived and raised his family in the U.S. until taking the Edmonton job.
“I thought once again the people of Edmonton showed their respect to our neighbours down south. It speaks volumes to the quality of person that lives here in this community.
“It would have been very easy for them to be quiet and not show the same energy and passion that they show for the Canadian anthem.
“I’m certainly proud to say that I’m from Edmonton today and I think that everybody around me can say that as well.”
Lisa Dillman, formerly of the Los Angeles Times, now of NHL.com had this response.
“It was chilling. I thought it was one of the more special crowd moments in a long, long time. I felt like my two countries were linked last night.”
The Oilers lost the hockey game but Edmonton showed it is a City of Champions.