Listening To The Boys Belt Out "USA Hockey is Do or Die" After A World Juniors Gold Medal Never Gets Old
The year was 2010. Obviously everyone who has come through the US National Team Program had known about this victory song long before 2010. It's been around since at least the 90s. But for those of us who never had even a fraction of the skill that it takes to get a sniff at wearing a USA hockey jersey? Or maybe for the future studs who were all just too young in 2010 to be a part of the USNTP? It was the first time we ever heard the "USA Hockey is Do or Die" chant.
And fortunately for us, the first time any of us heard this song was by far the greatest rendition of it ever. Danny Kristo absolutely crushed this one, and USA Hockey hasn't been able to develop anyone with the natural vocals and stage presence as Kristo since.
What USA Hockey has been able to develop over that time, however, is a WAGOOOOOON of a program. 2010 was just the 2nd time that a US Team was able to cap off a World Juniors with the victory chant. To think, no team had ever been able to sing it at a World Juniors before 2004.
But last night was the 3rd time in just 5 years it closed out a World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. Add in a heavy handful of U18 World Championships and pretty much every kid who has come through the program since 2010 has gotten a chance to at least sing it once. 2009-12 U18 gold with a 2010 WJC gold mixed in there. 2013 WJC gold. 2014-15 U18 gold. 2017 U18 and WJC gold. 2021 WJC gold. 2023 U18 gold. 2024-25 WJC gold.
You figure all the kids who would have heard Danny Kristo's version were about 3 or 4 years old at the time. They got to grow up their whole lives so far dreaming about letting that first "ohhh mama don't you cry" rip in the locker room after winning gold at the World Juniors. For this current team, it's the 3rd time most of them have had a chance to sing it at a major international tournament between the 2023 U18's and now back-to-back World Juniors. This team has definitely had the most practice signing it, but that doesn't make it any less nerve racking for Ryan Leonard leading it the first time.
P.S. -- If the Americans pull off the 3-peat next year, I demand that USA Hockey puts out an unedited version.