PRAGUE, Czechia – The Buffalo Sabres will be leaning into Czech culture when they score goals during their NHL Global Series games against the New Jersey Devils on Friday and Saturday.
The team turned to Viktor Maudr, leader of the Sabres Czech and Slovakian Fanclub, for help in choosing a goal song that would be unique to their stay in Prague. Maudr and his club became familiar to fans last season, when their songlike chants filled KeyBank Center during a six-game visit to Buffalo.
Their choice: a remix by Czech group Future Friends of Moravanka Jan Slabak’s song, “Vysoky Jalovec.”
“This song is kind of typical,” Maudr said. “It’s from the classical tones of Czech Moravian music, I would say. It’s an old song that was recreated by all the generations here.
“It is, for some reason – I honestly don’t know how – but it is very connected to sports. You can hear it when there is some kind of successful hockey event. If tennis is played and there are people with trumpets, they are going with this song because everyone knows it and it’s kind of a typical Czech cultural beloved. This song is kind of representing the Czech culture and how we love our heritage.”
Sabres forward Jiri Kulich, a Czech native, suggested the team go with the electronic remix from Future Friends upon hearing of the selection.
“I think it could make the place go nuts,” Maudr said. “Being in Czechia and hearing the original Czech song during the game – not the American ones, but a Czech tradition. That the team is proud that it is playing in Czech and that’s why it’s putting the Czech goal song on. I think that’s the thing that should make people proud here.”
The song selection is one of many ways the Sabres have embraced the local cultures during their tour through Europe. They toured Allianz Arena (home to legendary football club Bayern Munich), wore lederhosen, and visited Oktoberfest during their stay in Munich, Germany. They interacted with Czech fans during an open practice in Prague - for which Maudr was in attendance.
