The Hockey Song also appears on Connors’s gold album “Live at the Horseshoe,” recorded in November 1973 at Toronto’s Horseshoe Tavern. Connors later recorded an updated version for his 2008 album, “The Ballad of Stompin’ Tom.”

Upon Connors’s death in March 2013, compliments flowed in. From former Toronto Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf: “That’s probably the greatest hockey song ever made.” From former Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson: “It is a great song that will live on forever.” Its popularity driven by that year’s infamous NHL player lockout, it reached No. 29 on Billboard’s Canadian Hot 100 chart on March 23, 2013, a few weeks after his death.
Connors’s hockey anthem has been recorded by artists as diverse as contemporary country’s Corb Lund, country-bluegrass veterans The Good Brothers, and pop punk singer Avril Lavigne. Connors observed: “I think it’s great because when I was younger myself I used to sing a lot of songs of other people that I really liked…. Hank Williams and Hank Snow … Wilf Carter and those guys…. It makes me feel great they would do it.”

The Hockey Song is the best-known example of Connors’s unique brand of fervent nationalism. He was often invited to perform it at NHL games, and it became CTV Sportsnet’s NHL theme song. It appears on several recordings of hockey-related music, and is the subject of two illustrated children’s books. On screen, it was featured in the film “Slap Shot 3” and television’s “Corner Gas” and “Power Play.”

Country singer-songwriter and Canadian nationalist Stompin’ Tom Connors (1936 – 2013) was born in Saint John, New Brunswick. He won six Juno awards between 1971 and 1975 and was honoured with many lifetime achievement awards including a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame. Other Canadiana songs Connors was known for include Bud the Spud, Big Joe Mufferaw, and Sudbury Saturday Night.