Scarborough residents submit their hockey songs
Winner's work will be used on Hockey Night in Canada
The contest to create Canada's new hockey anthem features a strong Scarborough contingent.
There are at least 10 Scarborough residents vying to win Canada's Hockey Anthem Challenge. The winner of the challenge gets his or her song used on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada.
Tommy Joseph is one of the Scarborough residents putting his musical contribution forward. When he heard about the contest he immediately jumped at the chance to make a submission.
"This is the clash of two of my favourite things in the world - hockey and music," he said.
He entered his first song, The Shinny, July 2.
"That's what we all played when we were younger," he said. "I was trying to find something that everyone can relate to in hockey."
He barricaded himself in his room and set to work writing the song one night. He refined it and recorded the rock and roll anthem over the next few days.
"It just came from the heart," he said.
After submitting his entry, it was unleashed to the Canadian public via the official challenge website. The comments began and after reading them Joseph was hit with inspiration a second time. His second contest composition is called Trans Canada Hockey.
"I'll write this song - Trans Canada Hockey - for the fans," he said was his reason for the second song.
His heart remains with The Shinny though, and if one of his songs goes all the way he wants it to be that one. If his song ends up the last one standing, he gets $100,000 and half of the royalties (the other half going to minor league hockey). More importantly is the bragging rights that would come with the win.
"I couldn't care less about the money," Joseph said. "Imagine telling people I wrote the hockey song. Wow, I would go crazy."
Entries can be submitted until Aug. 31. Fans can rate, view and recommend songs as their favourites until the semi-finalists are revealed on Oct. 4, but judges will just use this as one factor in their selection consideration.
After the Oct. 4 reveal, fans can vote to identify the two finalists, which will be broadcast on Oct. 9. Following this a second round of voting will commence and the winner will be revealed on Oct. 11.
At present, other Scarborough entrants include Mitchel Paul, Robert Higgs, Pierre Jobin, Ron Croft, Matt Vaughan and Shane Ferguson, Jim Ng Cheong Tin, and Nubia Letourneau.
