Leafs scrap new goal song after 1 game due to concern about lyrics

For a storied franchise like the Toronto Maple Leafs, perception is often everything, which may explain why they abandoned their new goal song after one game.

After using Hall and Oates’ "You Make My Dreams" for several seasons, the Maple Leafs opted for a new sound in 2023-24, playing the Steve Aoki remix of Kid Cudi’s "Pursuit of Happiness" during their opening night victory over the Montreal Canadiens.

Apparently, it wasn’t a relentless pursuit. A team spokesperson told The Canadian Press that the team is aware of concerns about lyrics that reference drunk driving. These lyrics weren’t part of the portion clipped for the goal song, but for context, here’s an excerpt which refers to smoking marijuana and driving drunk.

Toronto used “Dup Dup” by German artist Mickie Krause during Saturday’s victory over the Minnesota Wild, which came as a surprise to fans in attendance. Throughout the year, the Maple Leafs are expected to use a variety of goal songs, which will be rotated based on their opponent or theme for the evening. The Leafs said they're looking for a song that will "energize both players and fans."

The club opted to go with Van Halen's "Panama" for Monday night's clash with rookie phenom Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks. Whether that song ends up sticking for more than one game remains to be seen.

Has the goal song "controversy" deterred the Maple Leafs on their own pursuit of happiness? Well, not really. Auston Matthews became the first Maple Leafs player in nearly two decades to record consecutive hat tricks and Toronto recorded 13 goals through its opening two games.