I went through FamousGoalHorns' YouTube video of all the NHL goal horns and songs in the 2024-25 season and rated them for each team. I rated the horn and acommpanying song separately out of five, with the combined score being out of 10.
My criteria and rating for this is a bit more lax than it would've been if I was writing a full-on story here instead of a forum post since I mainly would like to hear your favorite goal horns and songs. But basically, if it's energetic (whether it was a lot of goal horn blasts without going over the top or a fun song), sounds pleasant and engages the crowd, it gets a higher rating. For tied scores, the goal horn takes priority. Here we go.
1. Boston Bruins: the goal horn is 5/5. It's loud, it's an ideal length, and it's punchy. Tampa Bay and Toronto's goal horns sound similar, but Boston's just sounds better. Toronto's "wubwubwubwubwub" on the horn is too much, and Tampa's isn't as punchy on the blast. Boston's song, KernKraft 400, gets a 4/5. It's iconic and is easy for the crowd to sing along with.
2. Chicago Blackhawks: The horn gets a 4/5. It's punchy and harmonizes very well. The three blasts work. But Chelsea Dagger gets a 5/5. It's also iconic, but in my opinion, it's even more fun and energetic than Boston's.
3. Colorado Avalanche: They also get a 4/5 for the horn, which is crisp, bold, loud and a nice length. I give the song Chase the Sun a 4.5/5, which is a hot take, but let me explain. I knew this song before the Avalanche started using it because it's been used for more than a decade in darts tournaments, and if you've seen a darts crowd, you would understand the hype.
4. Ottawa Senators: 4/5 for the train horns, which has two long blasts, two short blasts and a long blast. Not everyone likes how it sounds, but I think the horns layer well, and train horns just sound nice. I actually gave Los Angeles a 5/5 for the horn, but the song rating made them fall to seventh. As for Song 2, it's a 4/5 for its energy, timelessness and crowd engagement.
5. Vancouver Canucks: I thought for a while about the Canucks' horn and song because it sounds really nice, and I'm sure it sounds even better in person. I gave the horns a 4/5 because they harmonize so well, but I think it could use two blasts instead of one. When I first heard Don't You Forget About Me was the goal song, I thought it was a pretty bad choice at first. I was wrong. It's different, fun to sing along with and transitions well after the horns with two guitar punches. 4/5, but I give Song 2 the edge.
What's your favorite goal horn and song? And you have anything else you want to talk about? Create your own forum post in The Hockey News Community by going to the homepage and scrolling down to the community section. Each team and specialty site has its own growing forum as well.