Gord Downie, the poetic frontman of The Tragically Hip, passed away Tuesday night after a well-documented battle with brain cancer.
The Tragically Hip, from Kingston, Ontario, are as iconic in this nation as the sport of hockey itself. Canada’s national winter sport is prevalent in many of the band’s lyrics. Arguably, the band’s most notable hockey song is “Fifty Mission Cap” from their 1992 release Fully Completely, a tribute to 1951 Stanley Cup hero Bill Barilko of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Other hockey references from The Tragically Hip are included in songs such as “Fireworks” (in honour of Paul Henderson and Team Canada 1972) and “At the Lonely End of the Rink”.