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Wayne Gretzky – sold to the L.A. Kings.
Eaton's department store – closed.
And now, the fall of another Canadian icon – the Hockey Night in Canada theme has been silenced.
“It's a sad day,” said Toronto agent John Ciccone, who represents Dolores Claman, who composed the tune in 1968 and watched it become a second Canadian anthem. “Very unfortunate.”
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The theme, which has served as the signature sound of CBC's famous Saturday night hockey show, has been at the centre of a long-running dispute between Ms. Claman and the federal broadcaster. In 2004, Ms. Claman filed a statement of claim against CBC asking for $2-million in damages and charging that the CBC had improperly profited from the song by using it in ways that contravened an agreement with her.
The battle between Ms. Claman and the CBC reached its climax this week, when the broadcaster announced that it would hold a contest to find new theme music if it couldn't come to terms with Ms. Claman. Late Friday, Ms. Claman's agent announced that the discussions came to an end when the CBC refused to amend its offer.
CBC executive Scott Moore had a different take. “It takes two sides to make a deal,” he said. “We worked really hard at it, but it didn't happen. And I can't tell you why. I honestly don't know what they want.”
Mr. Moore said the CBC paid what he considered a generous amount for the use of the music. “It was the highest licence fee of any television show in Canada. And we were prepared to continue paying it because, like most Canadians, we felt that it was worth it,” he said.
Mr. Moore said he was saddened that the famous tune will no longer open the CBC broadcast. “Like most Canadians, I grew up with it,” he said. “I have a strong connection with the song.”
But nothing is irreplaceable, said Mr. Moore. “What Hockey Night in Canada is really about is hockey. Everything else is just window dressing.”
The CBC executive said he was confident that a new theme will earn a place in the hearts of Canadians. CBC plans to come up with a new one by holding a national competition with a grand prize of $100,000.
“A new song will also become iconic,” Mr. Moore said. “We will have a terrific piece of music.”
The Hockey Night in Canada theme's place in the hearts and minds of Canadians has been a matter of some debate. Dave Bidini, a nationally known musician and the author of several books on hockey, said he loves Ms. Claman's classic jingle, but thinks a new one could probably resonate with new generations of fans.
“The old song is part of my dad's Hockey Night in Canada,” he said. “The world moves on. Things have to change.”
Mark Napier, a former NHL player and veteran of two Stanley Cups, also said he was prepared to accept a new theme. “People consider the song a second Canadian anthem,” he said. “But it's about the game, not the jingle. A new song would be weird for the first couple of years, but then we'd all get used to it.”
Andy Frost, the game announcer for the Toronto Maple Leafs, had mixed feelings. “Eventually, a new song could catch on,” he said. “But there's going to be a lot of hurt and disappointment.”
Mr. Frost, host of several shows on Toronto's Q107 classic-rock radio station, is a connoisseur of Canadian sound, thanks to his decades of choosing music for his audience. Asked what he considered the definitive Canadian riff, he thought of the Guess Who, Neil Young, Rush and Bachman Turner Overdrive, before deciding then decided that Ms. Claman's hockey theme music probably superseded them all in terms of universal recognition. “This might be the most famous Canadian song of all time,” he said. “Everyone knows it, even if they aren't Canadian.”
Ms. Claman's music was an unlikely contender for the role of hockey institution. When she composed it in 1968, she had never attended a hockey game. Ms. Claman, a classically trained musician who turned her hand to commercial music, said she thought of “hockey warriors” when she composed the “dunt-da-DUNT-da-dunt” melody that became synonymous with the national game. Ms. Claman, now in her late 70s, lives in England, but has followed the battle over her composition. Her agent, Mr. Ciccone, said Ms. Claman was “saddened” by the news that her music would no longer serve as the Hockey Night in Canada theme.
“It's very close to her heart,” he said. “It's like her baby. She's very appreciative of the reaction that people have had to it.”
