Hardcore hockey fan sings Oilers-themed parodies to spur support during playoffs
A gregarious young Edmonton hockey fan is getting attention on social media for creating extremely extroverted videos aimed at hyping up hardcore Edmonton Oilers supporters during the NHL playoffs through humour, song and dance.
'(The reception has been) mainly positive,' 24-year-old Adam Zuniga told Global News from his home in Alberta's capital on Thursday as he — and the Oilers players, of course — mentally prepared for a crucial Game 6 in the team's opening-round series against the Los Angeles Kings.
'We went down 2-0 to L.A. and then the sky was falling to everyone else — not me.
'This is the time for these songs. … We need to get people back believing.'
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Like a hockey-crazed version of 'Weird Al' Yankovic, Zuniga has been posting videos of himself in Oilers-themed outfits, singing parodies of hit songs where he changes the words in an attempt to fire up members of Oil Country and put a smile on people's faces at the same time.
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Examples of his work are 'Hey Nuge,' a reinterpretation of The Beatles' Hey Jude to show respect for Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, 'Zachary Hyman Baby,' which is a reworking of The Human League's 1980s hit Don't You Want Me Baby to honour the hardworking Oilers winger, and 'Boosh Boosh Boosh Boosh' about Oilers defenceman Evan Bouchard, which is a new version of Boom Boom Boom Boom by the dance-pop group Vengaboys.
Zuniga said putting together the parody songs usually takes him less than 20 minutes and said his recipe is to use the catchiest or the most annoying songs that everyone will know.
'Camera on (or) camera off, it's the same stuff… Nothing is fake. That's who I am,' he said of his social media video posts.
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Zuniga said during the Oilers' 2024 playoff run, which saw them reach Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final, he had been making videos and just sharing them with friends and family.
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They told him he should share them with a wider audience, but he feared potential embarrassment. This post-season, he changed his mind.
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'After last year and making the (Stanley Cup) final and being that close, I'm like, 'This year, I feel like I've got to do it,'' he said. 'We need something to push these boys all the way this year.''
Zuniga noted even some fans of the Calgary Flames, the Oilers' natural provincial rivals, have given him a thumbs-up.
'I've had Flames fans comment: 'I'm a Flames fan, I hate the Oilers, but this is awesome.''
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On Thursday night, the Oilers will host the Kings at Rogers Place with a chance to eliminate L.A. from the playoffs after rebounding from going winless in their first two games to earning three victories in a row.
Despite Edmonton leading the series 3-2, many Oilers fans have been emotionally tested with a wild roller-coaster of a series that has seen each team dominate at times and with most games seeing frantic action in the third period.
'Full belief,' Zuniga said, adding that when it comes to supporting their team, Oilers fans 'do it better than anybody.'
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'It makes them (Oilers players) want to play harder,' he added.
Zuniga's loud and lively support for the Oilers is something he believes stems from his family and his childhood.
'My parents were just as psychotic about this team as I am,' he explained. '(And) I text my grandmother every game. She doesn't miss a game.'
He said he has supported the Oilers even when the club was not very good, including during what fans have dubbed 'The Decade of Darkness,' a long run of seasons in which the team failed to qualify for the playoffs.
'I saw a lot of losses, but (former Oilers arena) Rexall (Place) — that whole childhood, I wouldn't change it for anything,' he said.
He added that with a team led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, he believes it's hard for any Oilers fan not to have faith in their ability to win.
To see more of Adam Zuniga's videos, check out his TikTok account.
–With files from Global News' Jaclyn Kucey
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