Two teams, and they take such very different routes, whether they are trying to land the Stanley Cup or honoring the age-old tradition of singing the national anthems before the first puck drop. The Edmonton Oilers will depend on their magical and truly superlative attacking line of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The Florida Panthers will be bringing their collective strength on the ice, which is more rooted in their organized structure inside the blue line. This, coupled with some very clinical forwards, gives the Panthers the perfect balance.
But before it all goes down on the ice, we get to experience the amazing spectacle of the national anthem being sung, which no doubt sets up the mood for the game. And when it’s the Edmonton Oilers vs. the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Finals, the national anthem event becomes even more meaningful. After all, a Canadian and an American team are fighting for the Cup. And it is a historical NHL tradition that has seen the national anthems of Canada and the USA being sung.
It all started in 1946, as the NHL followed in the footsteps of MLB and mandated the performing of the national anthem of the USA, ‘The Star-Spangled Banner,’ as a way to honor the veterans returning from World War II. In fact, even when MLB started it in the first game of the 1918 World Series, it was an impromptu nod by a military band to the soldiers serving in World War I.
As the crowd was swayed by the patriotic emotions and gravity of the circumstances, the singing of the national anthem became an important occurrence that has been continuing ever since. Even before 1946, The Star-Spangled Banner’ was heard before the start of the NHL games, but sporadically. But after 1946, it became a tradition that was very much a definition of the esteemed League.
Jun 10, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) skates with the puck against Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid (97) during the third period in game two of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
As for when Canada started doing it, it is not exactly known when their national anthem, ‘O Canada,’ started being performed. Some sources say it was around 1962, but we can’t be too sure. Before Canada became an independent country, they were a British colony. And as such, they used to sing ‘God Save the King’ and, subsequently, ‘God Save the Queen’ when Canadian teams played in the first half of the twentieth century.
But it transitioned into the Canadian anthem of today, and together with the national anthem of the USA, they have become the pride and soul of the NHL, which is held across the 2 countries. So, as the first game of the 2025 Stanley Cup is just hours away, let’s see who’s taking up the mantle of this prestigious duty.
Who is singing the National Anthem for the Edmonton Oilers at the Stanley Cup Finals?
The first 2 games of the 2025 Finals will be in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Home ice of the proud and passionate Oilers and the national anthems, both of them, will be sung by their very own and lovable Robert Clark. In 2025, it is his 12th season at Rogers Place, and he has huge shoes to fill. To captivate the 18000 fans like the legendary Paul Lorieau did for 3 decades wasn’t going to be easy.
It was Lorieau who breathed a new life into the century-old tradition in 2006 by stopping to sing the national anthem of Canada when it entered the “with glowing hearts” verse, and the world saw the crowd take over and pour their emotion and feeling into the song. The chorus rendition of ‘O Canada’ became more hauntingly powerful than ever before. And Robert Clark has continued it without question, but he has also added his own thing to it.
“When we first started doing it in 2017, we came together and thought that this would be an awesome tribute, but also let’s make it our own and put me in the crowd,” Clark shared with the Edmonton Journal on May 10, 2025. “Put together those two things, and the crowd goes crazy. They love being able to sing the Canadian anthem.” Yes, when the national anthem starts, you will see Robert Clark amongst the fans. After all, a national anthem is not just to be sung. One has to feel it. A sense of belonging that makes the fans relate and join in.
Credits – Twitter@RobClarkTenor
Moreover, Clark has always been adamant. “It’s not about me; it’s about the game in its entirety. For me, it doesn’t need to be this giant spectacle. They throw me in the stands for the playoffs. That’s different because it’s the playoffs, and that’s our unique thing to do. But, still, it’s about the experience and not showcasing who I am. It’s not the Robert Clark Show.”
There’s a very unique thing that the Rogers Place witnesses that’s not even in the statutes of the Canadian Law. “If two anthems are to be played at an event, precedence should be given to ‘O Canada’ when on Canadian soil. At the beginning of an event, ‘O Canada’ should be played first, followed by the other anthem.”
And yet, we will see Clark sing ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ first, followed by ‘O Canada.’ Why? Because of the way he performs. It energizes the fans and the players in such a way that it probably wouldn’t feel the same if it were reversed. Oilers forward Evander Kane summed up perfectly why it had to be this way: “A Canadian crowd always has a little extra energy and buzz, and the anthem’s the last thing before the puck drops, so it’s definitely time to get the energy going and get everyone feeling excited and ready to go. He does a great job doing that.”
So, be ready to tune in some time before the actual puck drop happens. It’s something a fan should experience. And you will only get to hear him when the game is at Rogers Place. Because when the Stanley Cup Final Series goes to Florida, it will be someone else with the esteemed duty.
Who is singing the National Anthem for the Florida Panthers at the Stanley Cup Finals?
The series goes to Florida in Game 3. And as of now, we still don’t have confirmation on who will perform the national anthem. Official sources show that the anthem singer is currently listed as “TBD” (To Be Determined). All we can say is that the Panthers have a task at hand. Why? Because who they chose for this highly regarded affair was not at all convincing as far as the fans were concerned.
The Panthers invited Adam David, the Season 27 winner of The Voice, to perform ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ on May 25 before the Game 3 clash of the Eastern Conference Finals. It was between the Florida Panthers and the Carolina Hurricanes – both American teams. Well, it didn’t go well for the 35-year-old, as his rendition of the national anthem was deemed slow. It was not what the NHL fans wanted before a high-voltage game.
Credits: X / @flapanthers
His mumbling pronunciation seemed as if he forgot the “Twilight’s Last Gleaming” lyric of the song. Or maybe he just did his thing, which the fans didn’t appreciate in the least. Will we see him again? We can’t say. But we have seen some great performances over the years and some very energized and soulful ones this year only. Like Pranysqa Mishra in the Panthers vs. Flames game on March 2! She had the vocal power of a young singer, and the Amerant Bank Arena vibrated to her improv.
Who can forget VËR (Dana Ben David) from the playoff game between the Panthers and the Montreal Canadiens on April 20? She was so soulful and mesmerizing; you just want to be quiet and listen and feel at peace. Well, we will see who the Panthers have for the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals. Last year, for game 7 of the finals, we saw singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette perform ‘O Canada’ and ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ at Amerant Bank Arena. And in Game 5, it was Brooke Alexx, a New Jersey-born pop singer.
Well, we will have to wait for the Panthers to do their thing. We are sure they have something up their sleeves.
Will Florida or Edmonton win fans over with their anthem singer?
This is the biggest question, isn’t it? The Oilers have gone for a tried and tested approach, and the best in the NHL. Many Oilers fans don’t favor country music singer Brett Kissel. And do you know why? No, his performance has no similarity to Adam David’s. Rather, the Oilersnation loves his renditions. But it’s the apparent curse he carries. That the Oilers lose whenever he performs has made the fans turn away from him.
Away from both the Oilers and the Panthers, the LA Kings tried to do something unique. But they received mixed reactions. The Harmonica Class performance of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ by Koreatown Senior and Community Center’s harmonica ensemble at the Crypto Arena was polarizing. Some said, “That was torture listening to that.” Some applauded the performance and vibed with it as a celebration of cultural integration.
Well, we will just have to wait and see things unfold. Soon we will find out if the fans are happy with the national anthem rendition and the team performance. Yes, let’s not forget. It’s the 2025 Stanley Cup Finals.
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