Canadian country singer Brett Kissel had an anthem malfunction Sunday at an Edmonton Oilers game — and hockey fans came to his rescue.
As he launched into the U.S. national anthem, “Star-Spangled Banner,” Kissel realized his mic didn’t appear to be working. Hearing fans in the crowd starting to sing, the Alberta native encouraged everyone in the arena to join.
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The anthem moment quickly went viral, with many people suggesting an arena full of American hockey fans would never have been able to do the same with a Canadian anthem. (In fairness, the words to “Star-Spangled Banner” were displayed in Rogers Place.)
“The best singers & fans are in #OilCountry,” Kissel later tweeted. He also tweeted at Ellen Degeneres, hoping the moment would get a mention on her daytime talk show.