The Puckhogs take aim at hockey glory

As Canadians, hockey “really seems to be etched in our consciousness and our identity,” according to singer-songwriter Sean Barrette.

That's the idea he and two other local musicians — Brent Wohlberg and Chris Leblanc — are trying to convey in “For the Love of the Game,” a song the trio wrote for Hockey Night in Canada Song Quest, a contest from CBC Music and Hockey Night.

“So many people played hockey or watched hockey, or even if it wasn't organized hockey, shinny or street hockey,” Barrette said.

“Then we grow up, and some of us keep playing hockey well into our adulthood, and some of us end up with kids who are in hockey, and we end up watching our kids from the stands.”

The contest's winners get studio time to record a version of his or her song with Joel Plaskett. That recording will be featured in a prime-time montage on Hockey Night in Canada.

To top it all off, CBC Music and Hockey Night will fly the winner to Lloydminster, Alta., to perform live at the Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada concert, and the tune may get spins on CBC Radio One, Radio Two and Radio Three.

It all started when Leblanc heard about the contest, and texted Barrette, who he's co-written songs with in the past. They started trading possible lyrics via text, and by the next day, had a draft written.

Barrette recorded a rough demo, and then sent it off to Wohlberg, a local singer-songwriter and the owner of Artifact Media studio, who helped them to perfect the song and professionally record and master it.

The three men have formed a band called “The Puckhogs” for the purpose of the contest. “It's just a bit of fun,” Barrette said. “We're really having a good time with it.”

Barrette said he's not sure what The Puckhogs' chances are, as there are 16 pages of entries from the province of Ontario alone. “You think, 'You know what, I guess we've got as good a chance as anybody,'” he said.

Anyone interested in listening to and voting for The Love of the Game are asked to visit music.cbc.ca/#/play/artist/The-Puckhogs/For-The-Love-Of-The-Game. The contest's first round of voting lasts until Dec. 11.

@heidi_ulrichsen