Alberta-born country star Brett Kissel was on hand to sing the Canadian and American national anthems, but his mic faltered when he tried to launch into "The Star-Spangled Banner." Fans at Rogers Place, however, stepped in and belted out every word.
Kissel later thanked attendees on Twitter, declaring that the "best singers and fans are in #OilCountry!"
Mic didn't work for the anthems tonight @RogersPlace. But no worries. The best singers & fans are in #OilCountry! @EdmontonOilers!
— BRETT KISSEL (@BrettKissel) April 30, 2017
Hockey Night in Canada gave a cheesy shout-out to the stand-in singers too.
Celebrities from the worlds of TV, sports, music and politics also showed their appreciation for the impromptu performance.
Dear @EdmontonOilers fans, singing both anthems was amazing!!! Well done.
— Gerry Dee (@gerrydee) May 1, 2017
Very proud of you Edmonton... https://t.co/jZCW2QiTM9
— Colin Hanks (@ColinHanks) May 1, 2017
So awesome that @EdmontonOilers fans sang the American Anthem last night. Thanks for respecting our nation. Hockey fans are the finest!
— Jeremy Roenick (@Jeremy_Roenick) May 1, 2017
A beautiful anthem save by the great people of Edmonton. #StanleyCup https://t.co/sZrLEwIH1a
— NHL (@NHL) May 1, 2017
@BrettKissel @RogersPlace @EdmontonOilers Wow. Incredible.👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽🇨🇦
— Little Big Town (@littlebigtown) May 1, 2017
@BrettKissel @EdmontonOilers Hey Brett! WHAT A GAME THIS IS!! We're gonna have heart attacks! Great job antheming!
— July Talk (@julytalk) May 1, 2017
This is so cool. Well done @BrettKissel and Oilers fans! https://t.co/kLst7AzU7H (and no, I'm not on the bandwagon. Yet!)
— Naheed Nenshi (@nenshi) May 1, 2017
Hell, even far-right U.S. site Breitbart gave the Oilers fans props.
some of you guys are alright https://t.co/9ALmqBj9Yd
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) May 1, 2017
Despite the fans' valiant anthem delivery, the Oilers ultimately lost the game 6-3 to the visiting Anaheim Ducks.
Relive footage of the heroic anthem save below.