NHL Anthem Singer Upset With Recent Upstage By Carrie Underwood & Other Country Acts

Warner Bros. (Left)/(Right) Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean

Dennis K. Morgan, the regular national anthem singer for the Nashville Predators, has a bone to pick with the organization, claiming that the team’s recent decisions to replace him with A-list performers has been rather “insulting”. Having sang the national anthem prior to the Pred’s hockey games for the last 17 years, Morgan is anything but content with what he feels is a violation of his contract and essentially a slap in the face. 

“They came to me and said the captain’s (Mike Fisher) wife asked to sing the anthem that night,” he explained to The Tennessean. “It was presented to me as a one night only kind of thing and I agreed to it. Then they continued to bring in these other singers and touted them as ‘A-listers,’ which kind of hurt me.” Although admitting that he has been as “good natured” as possible about the unfortunate shift of attention, Morgan explained his reduction in performances has prompted friends, family, and even strangers to question the singer on his dwindling anthems. 

“Everywhere I go — obviously at my day job (as a healthcare IT recruiting manager) and at (Bridgestone) arena as well as everywhere else I go to church, grocery stores, on the street, in meetings and in restaurants — people want to know how I feel,” he spoke. Pondering as to why his talent has been pushed aside for more known artists, Morgan also revealed that he’s dissected the situation and asked the team, “Why am I not singing? Because I don’t have seven Grammys, I’m not married to the captain, she’s a whole lot prettier than me?”

The Predators issued a direct statement on the conflict at hand, saying, “We have always valued Dennis K. Morgan’s performance of the national anthem at Predators’ home games. Our arrangement with him has always allowed for nationally and internationally renowned musical artists to perform when available to further enhance our game experience while paying respect to our country through their respective awe-inspiring renditions of the national anthem. The reaction from our fans in Bridgestone Arena as well as from around the country to seeing and hearing world class performers such as Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Vince Gill and his daughters, Little Big Town and Lady Antebellum during the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs has been overwhelmingly positive, bringing national and international exposure to our community while continuing to set our game experience and atmosphere apart from others in professional sports.”

The singer is nearing his monumental 25 years of singing for the NHL, however he fears that this riff could perhaps diminish his dream to reach that success. With two more seasons to go before his achievement, it’s unsure if Morgan with stick with the team or hit the ice in search of a new spotlight.

What are your thoughts on the matter?