Hockey fans are excited for more than just a day off on July 1st.

It is the start of the NHL’s free agency period, where unrestricted players can sign wherever they want.

Some might say this is a holiday for fans, so we spruced it up a little bit with a parody to the popular poem “The Night Before Christmas.”

Written and voiced by Q92’s Mark Pare.  The music bed is from YouTube.

^ Use this if you don’t have SoundCloud.

If you want to follow along, the poem itself is below.

 

“T’was the night before free agency in the National Hockey League,
The Cup Champs are pressing the Cap…but they’ll probably keep Kris Versteeg.

The plans were drawn up, the fan base a buzzin.
That soon the next big thing could be your Jake Muzzin.

Fans were all cuddled up in beds,
with Stanley Cup dreams dancing in their heads.

Phil Pritchard, meanwhile, is touring with the Hawks,
because Chicago needed a win that wasn’t from the White Sox.

The Leafs will be active, their nation would hope.
So that Phil Kessel’s summer isn’t under such a big microscope.
You can count out Mike Richards, and Ryan O’Reilly too.
Mike Babcock is here though, what else is there to do?

For the Habs, it’s all the same,
The players step up, but rely on Price to steal the game.
Well, the Price was wrong then, and it could be again.
But for the Province of Quebec, Free Agency could be where they get that next big win.

Out West, the Oilers kicked things into high gear.
Because a first overall pick shouldn’t head there every…single…year.
Now Connor, and Taylor, and Ryan and Jordan.
To Nail, and Nurse…and..is that fan snorin?
Not again…

To Calgary now, and the Flames have a new fire.
Perhaps this Battle of Alberta will finally come down to the wire.

Don’t forget Ottawa and Vancouver, and Winnipeg as well.
They’re building and building, and they’re all pretty swell.
The Sens are a dark horse, with a Hamburglar in net.
Then there’s Big Buff, who knows it’s good to be a Jet.

The Canucks, meanwhile, have a big question.
What will happen with Bieksa, and how about that trade to get Zach Kassian.
Cody Hodgson is out of Buffalo, and I hope he doesn’t feel silly.
Look at Sam Gagner, and his road that led to Philly.

With one day before the frenzy, it’s interesting to see
The top forwards are Shawn Horcoff and Marty St. Louis.
Defensemen and trades are expected to dominate the day.
So Mike Green and Paul Martin, what do you say?

It all begins tomorrow, the future is now.
A few big moves, and 29 other teams will take a bow.
It’s only the beginning of this long long road.
Because you’re either kissing Lord Stanley, or your just licking a toad.”