The definitive 2021-22 Capitals goal songs playlist: Foo Fighters, AC/DC, Jimi Hendrix and some surp

Country roads, take me home, to the place I belong

West Virginia, mountain mama, take me home, country roads

If you’re of a certain age, you probably know the words to John Denver’s famous singalong, “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”

If you’ve been to a game at Capital One Arena over the past three seasons and T.J. Oshie happened to score, there’s also a good chance you’ve jumped out of your seat and joined 18,000 fellow Caps fans in belting out the chorus as Oshie hugged and fist-bumped his teammates on the ice.

Oshie is from Everett, Wash., by way of Warroad, Minn. He attended college at the University of North Dakota and broke into the NHL in St. Louis.

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So how in the world did he pick a song that debuted 15 years before he was born and pays tribute to the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah River?

Here’s how.

“I have some dad friends, as I call them,” Oshie explained this week. “Just some friends here in Arlington (Va.). Our kids went to preschool together so we started a little group. We went down to Pinehurst (Golf Resort in North Carolina) a few years ago. We got there on a Thursday night and there was a little Irish pub right there in the basement. It was us six and maybe four other people in the whole bar. It was karaoke night and everyone had to sing a song.

“I honestly did not know all the words —not even close,” he added. “I knew, like, a couple of words from the chorus; I just knew everyone loved the song. And sure enough, all the guys came on the stage and we all sang together and I was like, ‘Jeez, that’s a fun song for people to get on board with.’ So that’s how I came up with it.”

Goal songs in D.C. debuted during the 2019-20 season. The team’s first playlist was chronicled here in Jan. 2020 — Capitals goal songs: The stories behind the music. But there’s been a ton of roster churn since then. In fact, seven of the 21 players mentioned in the original writeup have moved on. So, after a number of requests from readers for a follow-up, here it is, the definitive 2021-22 Capitals goal songs playlist:

Capitals goal songs, 2022 edition

You can listen to the songs and save the playlist here if you use Spotify.

Now, for some details.

Every player currently on the roster has a song. Some handpicked their tune. Others had one assigned to them by the game operations department.

All the players, however, are in agreement on one thing: It’s pretty cool, especially when the entire building sings “Take Me Home, Country Roads” after an Oshie goal.

“When Osh scores,” rookie Connor McMichael said “the fans love it. He’s known for ‘Country Roads.’ It’s so cool when you see the whole crowd getting into it like that.”

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Added Oshie: “I haven’t scored that much this year, so I haven’t heard it enough. But it’s awesome. It’s about as close as it gets to the crowd chanting your name, I think.”

McMichael said he picked “Shout” by The Isley Brothers in the hopes it would become a popular singalong similar to Oshie’s selection.

“I thought that one would be cool — something the fans could get into,” he said. “It’s a catchy song that can create some energy in the rink.”

Alex Ovechkin’s choice — “Shake, Rattle and Roll” by Big Joe Turner — is not only the most frequently played song on F Street, it’s also the most curious selection. For the full story, be sure to go back and read the 2020 piece, which explains why he dropped “Still D.R.E” by Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg and settled on a ditty that debuted in 1954.

As you might have noticed, many of the songs have a connection to a player’s name or nickname.

Conor Sheary’s song is “Sherry” by The Four Seasons.

Nick Jensen has “Nick of Time” by AC/DC.

Lars Eller’s song is “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor, which is a nod to his nickname, Tiger.

Prospect Hendrix Lapierre’s song — “All Along the Watchtower” by Jimi Hendrix — isn’t listed because he’s not currently on the roster, but it’s a safe bet you’re going to hear it a lot in future seasons. Lapierre, of course, was named after the 1960s rocker. 

Garnet Hathaway picked Haddaway’s “What is Love” in part because the artist’s name is similar to his own. (Funny enough, Hathaway and game ops settled on the song without knowing what the other was thinking.)

There’s also John Carlson’s song, “Johnny B. Goode” by Chuck Berry.

“It’s fine,” Carlson said with a shrug, noting that he didn’t pick a song, so he had one assigned to him. “I don’t really care about that stuff. I don’t know who picked it. Someone — game ops, I guess — came up with ideas, and I was like, all right, let’s go with that.”

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Carlson may be indifferent about it. His teammates, however, enjoy the tune.

“I think Johnny’s fits him real well,” Oshie said. “I don’t know if he likes it, but I know the guys on the bench LOVE IT.”

After a brief pause to contemplate, Oshie added: “There’s probably some goals songs out there that could probably use some work. But it’s a fun thing, and I’m glad the Caps do it.”

Some of the players’ songs are a nod to family or friends, like Oshie’s. 

Evgeny Kuznetsov’s song — “Astronaut in the Ocean” by Masked Wolf — was picked by his 6-year-old daughter, Ecenia.

Nic Dowd’s choice — “You Can Call Me Al” by Paul Simon — was his wedding song.

A few players have changed songs over the past two years, and at least one other — Nicklas Backstrom — is contemplating it.

Tom Wilson dropped Devo’s “Whip It,” which was a nod to his nickname, “Whip,” and switched to “Boom” by Tiësto & Sevenn. Wilson has become friendly with Tiësto, who was the D.J. at the team’s Stanley Cup celebration the night they won in Las Vegas four years ago.

“It’s catchy,” Wilson said.

“Through mutual friends, I’ve gotten to know Tiësto and his family a little bit,” he explained. “So, I guess it’s a little bit of tribute to him. I wanted to pick somebody that I know. And whenever we’re at a music festival or club or anything like that, he’s always been amazing at letting us hang around or be a part of it.”

As for Backstrom, he joked that he “panicked” a few years ago and picked “Here I Go Again ’87” by Whitesnake.

“I got to change that,” he said.

“Herrre I gooo againnnn,” Backstrom began singing before the reporter cut him off and asked what else he’s considering.

“Something with some beats to it,” he joked, before turning serious: “I love it in the regular season, but I wish in the playoffs we had one song. That’s just me.”

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The team’s newest additions, Marcus Johansson and Johan Larsson, have not settled on a song yet, according to Tommy Chalk, the team’s manager of media relations and contest. He tells The Athletic that he intends to get with each player soon.

Until then, the team’s generic goal song — “Learn to Fly” by the Foo Fighters — will be played when they score. Just as it is whenever Martin Fehervary and Matt Irwin score.

In the case of Irwin, make that if he scores. The Caps’ No. 7 defenseman has appeared in only 14 games and hasn’t potted one yet.

“They can play whatever,” he said with a smile. “I would just be happy the puck went in the net. I probably wouldn’t even hear it.”

Asked if he could pick a goal song for himself, Irwin started to laugh.

“At the rate I’m going,” he said, starting to crack up, “something like ‘I Believe in Miracles’ would be good.” 

(Photo: Rob Carr / Getty Images)

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