Danny Joyce and his Calgary Stampede colours (Image: Joyce family)
The road for Danny Joyce in singing the national anthem for the Calgary Flames vs. Montreal Canadiens game this Saturday began with a prank phone call 23 years ago when Joyce says one of his friends told a local radio station that he was a singer.
“(They) called me and said, ‘This is the Harbour Station calling in and we’d like to get you to sing at a Flames game here in Saint John,” said Joyce.
The on-air conversation got interesting when the announcer asked Joyce to sing the English and French versions of the Canadian national anthem, and the US national anthem, before revealing the charade.
“Of course, the people went nuts over it,” Joyce said, adding Harbour Station legitimately called him afterward and asked him to sing at a Saint John Flames game.
Over the last twenty years, Joyce has sung the national anthem for numerous hockey games, from Pee Wee to the Quebec Major Junior.
In February, Joyce was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. His son, Dan later contacted the Calgary Flames and told them about his father’s singing background in Saint John and how he had always wanted to sing the anthem at an NHL game.
“They shot him back an email said, ‘Hey, we have a cancer awareness night on April 24, we’d love to have him do it!’ said Joyce. “Of course, I’m already three weeks into chemotherapy and radiation, and I’m going ‘Holy Jeez Dan, what a time to do that!’ – but of course I’m going to try it no matter what because I want to do it,” he added.
Joyce performed, filmed and recorded the anthem at the now renamed TD Station, wearing a new Calgary Flames jersey sent to him by the NHL.
“It all turned out really well for me and things are going great. I finished my chemotherapy and I finished my radiation last week, I’m feeling pretty good and just anxious to get’er done,” he said. “With everything that’s going on and all the doom and gloom that’s going on, people will certainly get a good laugh out of it if nothing else and, and I’ll have a little fun out of it too.”
Joyce gives a big shout out to the Saint John Regional Oncology Department, Dr. Margot Burnell and Dr. Trish Daigle-Maloney, their supporting staff, the chemo and radiation staff, and a big, “Thanks Tanya.”
Those looking to catch Joyce’s NHL national anthem debut can tune in to Saturday’s Calgary Flames vs. Montreal Canadiens game, which airs at 8pm Atlantic on Rogers Sportsnet East.
