Detroit sports radio host sings ‘Woe Canada’ on air after Oilers lose Stanley Cup Final

A Canadian team hasn’t lifted the Stanley Cup since the Montreal Canadiens’ victory in 1993, and that’s been a repeated subject of NHL discussion.

The Edmonton Oilers, last season’s runner-ups to the Florida Panthers, again came close in the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, but ultimately fell to Florida again in six games.

After the Panthers’ series-clinching 5-1 Game 6 win Tuesday, sports radio host Michael Stone sang his long-running ‘Woe Canada’ parody of Canadian national anthem ‘O Canada’ on-air on Detroit’s 97.1 The Ticket Wednesday, with lyrics reflecting that now 32-year drought:

“Woe Canada, it happened once again
Thirty-two years, when will you win again?
The last time you won, I was 34, and McJesus wasn’t born
Since ’93, it’s the same ending, the true north hearts are torn
God keep your land, Stanley Cup- and tariff-free
Woe Canada, it’s been since ’93
Woe Canada, no Stanley Cup for thee”

As another host there notes afterwards, a fun fact is that an American team has won the Canadian Football League’s Grey Cup (the Baltimore Stallions/Football Club/CFL Colts in 1995, the last year of American teams in that league) more recently than a Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup. That’s surprising, especially as the Stanley Cup odds have improved for Canada lately.

The country was down to six of 30 NHL teams (20%) from 1997 to 2011 following the Winnipeg Jets’ departure for Phoenix. But it’s been at seven (now of 32, 21.9 percent) teams following the Atlanta Thrashers’ move to Winnipeg in 2012. So the drought remains an odd story worth discussion. And Stone has done this particular tribute to it before (with different lyrics each time), including last year:

A remarkable part of this is that Stone isn’t even a regular host at The Ticket any more. He worked there from 2009-2024 before signing off as a regular figure following last year’s Super Bowl. But he still makes occasional appearances, and he guest-hosted the afternoon show Wednesday. That provided a good forum for him to get out the latest version of his “Woe Canada.”

This is far from the only unauthorized change we’ve seen to the Canadian national anthem lyrics over the years, including at this year’s 4 Nations Face-Off. But, unlike political protests (or whatever the “lone wolf” member of The Tenors was trying to do with an “all lives matter” line at the 2016 MLB All-Star Game), this wasn’t an official event anthem, but rather a radio show parody. And it probably makes some sense for Detroit radio in particular to needle their nearby neighbors, and even those listening from across the border in Windsor can probably at least laugh at this. The big question is if the drought will break in 2026, and if not, if Stone will come up with another “Woe Canada” version.