Leafs hold open auditions for game day anthem singer

Andrew Wallace/torstar news service

Sydney Wray, 8, performs while Chris Regan, left, and Tori Sung wait to audition during tryouts to sing the Canadian national anthem at a Maple Leafs home game.

More about NHL

Leafs-Red Wings heading outside for Michigan Winter Classic

Phillips set to play 1,000 game with Senators

NHL Capsules: Kiprusoff gets 300th win

Jokinen's hat trick leads Flames past Sharks

Published: September 21, 2009 5:32 a.m.

Last modified: September 21, 2009 9:31 a.m.

Be the first to comment

Print article

Text size

Eight-year-old Sydney Wray may not be pugnacious or truculent, but she’s still hoping she’s got what it takes to get on the ice at a Maple Leafs home game this year.

And lucky for her Brian Burke wasn’t one of the judges at the Leafs’ anthem singer tryouts yesterday at the Air Canada Centre.

Wray joined 170 anthem-singing hopefuls of all ages and abilities as part of an open call for auditions by the hockey club.

“I’m a little nervous,” Sydney said before getting her chance to sing.

The Clearmeadow Public School student already has some anthem-singing experience.

Last year she sang “O Canada” at a Newmarket Hurricanes Junior “A” game.

A Leafs fan, Sydney said she would love the chance to perform on a bigger stage.

“It would be really cool, but it would be nervous at the same time.”

Pros and amateurs, kids and sexagenarians, sang their hearts out side-by-side in front of a panel of five judges, which included Paul Aikins, the head of music theatre at the Etobicoke School of the Arts; and Beverley Mahood, a country music recording artist and CMT host.

About 20 people from yesterday’s tryout — held at the Hot Stove Lounge — will receive a call-back for a second audition, where they will sing at ice level, said director of game operations for the Maple Leafs, Mike Ferriman.

More than just strong singing ability, Ferriman said he and the other judges are looking for “someone who’s going to fire up this building.”

Five to 10 singers will then get a chance to sing. Anthem singers aren’t paid for their performance, but they do receive two tickets to the game they sing at.

More about NHL , Toronto Maple Leafs

more local stories

Ontario PCs elect Richard Ciano as party president

NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. - Ontario's Progressive Conservatives are choosing to stick with their leader Tim Hudak, but injected fresh new blood in the party machinery following a humbling election defeat last fall.

Shortage of live-in caregivers creates a ‘nanny’s market’

These days, it scares Jodi Kaplan to let her live-in caregiver, Rose Pablico, out of her sight because of the rampant “nanny poaching” across Canada, especially in the GTA.

Panda honeymoon a symbol of new level of China relations

Theirs is a courtship about to unfold at the Toronto and Calgary zoos, starting in the spring of 2013.

Add your comment

Comments are not reviewed before posting. If you believe a comment has violated the commenting guidelines, please alert a moderator using links provided.