If you haven’t had the chance to attend a Blackhawks game in Chicago you are missing out. It is a tradition for Blackhawks fans to applaud and cheer insanely loud during the singing of the national anthems. Having been lucky enough to see it last year during the Stanley Cup Finals, I needed to share at least some video with you. It definitely doesn’t do it full justice, but it gets the point across. This tradition originated during a 1985 Campbell Conference playoff game at Chicago Stadium versus the Edmonton Oilers.
In this clip Wayne Messmer sings the National Anthem at Chicago Stadium during the ’91 NHL All-Star game, days after the U.S. went into Iraq at the start of the Gulf War.
This was broadcast live to the troops in the Middle East, and Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf reportedly played a tape of this to his soldiers.
FAST FORWARD to 1 Minute and 40 Seconds into this video for Jim Cornelison singing the Anthem before the 2009 playoff game v. the Canucks.
And one of my personal favorites is nearly the entire city of Chicago Stanley Cup National Anthem during the celebration parade.
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