DUNT-DA-DUNT-DA-DUNT

 The iconic theme song for the Hockey Night in Canada broadcast was a beacon that called hockey fans their television to watch the game on the CBC. The catchy tune was written by Dolores Claman, who passed away last month at the age of 94.

She composed the theme while employed by Maclaren Advertising in 1968.

In June 2008, the rights to the song were sold to CTV for their NHL games on TSN. This occurred when the Canadian Broadcasting Company and Claman failed to negotiate a deal for the licensing rights. 

A newspaper report noted, "She wanted her song to reflect the narrative arc of hockey itself: the arrival at the rink, the battle on the ice, then the trip home." To this description, Claman added, "Plus a cold beer."

Former Toronto Maple Leaf and Hockey Night in Canada analysts, Howie Meeker, spoke with Canwest News Service in 2008 about the shift from the CBC to CTV. "To half the Canadians 40 years and over, we grew up with that damned thing. That's part of our history, part of our life, part of the enthusiasm for the game. When you heard that you thought Canada; you thought hockey; you thought CBC."