Teams will often try to troll their opponent by playing their victory song after a win, but La Bamba has so much more meaning to it than any other team song in the NHL.
La Bamba was the favourite song of Joey Moss, a former locker room attendant for the Oilers that had Down syndrome who passed away in 2020. The Oilers began using La Bamba as their song in the 2021-22 season, where it took off again being the favourite song of late super fan Ben Stelter.
Playing this song as a taunt against the Oilers just feels like incredibly bad karma. For the Oilers, La Bamba isn't just a victory song, it's one that has deep meaning and a connective story between the team and their fans. Connor McDavid himself has said he thinks of Ben Stelter every time he hears La Bamba, and it's a massive boost to the team to play with him in mind.
At best, the Stars played La Bamba as a misinformed jab at the Oilers. Knowing the history behind the song's relation to the team and their fans, it just comes across as a personal insult. All over, Oilers fans really weren't happy with the Stars for the choice.
When the series shifts back to Edmonton, the Oilers need to use this personal slight as a piece of motivation to really crush the Dallas Stars. Best case scenario, the Oilers play La Bamba twice at home, and can travel back to Dallas to put the Stars in their place.
POLL | ||
Do you think this was a harmless taunt by the Dallas Stars, or a personal slight against the Oilers? | ||
It was harmless | 155 | 28 % |
It's a personal slight against the Oilers | 320 | 57.8 % |
See Results | 79 | 14.3 % |
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