Surfrajettes Reinvent Hockey Night in Canada Theme

The Hockey Night in Canada theme song, officially titled “The Hockey Theme,” was composed by Dolores Claman in 1968 and imagined through her vision of Roman gladiators on skates, even though she had never attended a live hockey game. Orchestrated by Jerry Toth, the piece evolved into one of the most iconic and longest-running theme songs in broadcast history, becoming inseparable from Canadian hockey culture and often called the second national anthem. I grew up watching Hockey Night in Canada, living through nail-biting Saturday nights when your team felt seconds away from victory, only to somehow let you down yet again. Those moments were pure Canadian ritual. Between periods, Don Cherry would launch into his legendary rants about there not being enough Canadian players, adding fuel to the passion, debate, and drama that defined the experience.

Now, one of my favourite surf bands, The Surfrajettes, is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a high-energy surf rock version of this iconic Canadian theme. This all-female instrumental surf rock group from Toronto is known for its 1960s vintage aesthetic and modern reimaginings of pop and classic tracks. Their name is a clever play on the word suffragette, reflecting female strength and solidarity. Their reinterpretation of the Hockey Night in Canada theme honours the song’s female origins while injecting it with bold, reverb-soaked guitars and cinematic flair. So crack open a cold Molson, slip on your AirPods, turn it up, and let nostalgia take over as this familiar anthem pulls you right back into the chaos, the rivalry, and the electric madness of a true Canadian hockey night.

Just imagine Steve McGarrett from Hawaii Five-O, open shirt fluttering, gripping a hockey stick like a custom longboard, carving down the ice the way a surfer slices through a perfect glassy wave. His navy hair flows behind him like sea spray as he powers past defenders, riding the frozen rink like it is the North Shore at sunset. In true surf-rock spirit, he snaps a wrist shot, crashes the crease, and calls out with pure retro swagger, Hook ’em, Danno, as if he just nailed the cleanest ride of the night. It is hockey meets hot sand, ice meets warm Pacific swell, and pure vintage cool all rolled into one unstoppable Canadian wave of nostalgia.