That quirky Johnny K and his wacky ideas! Here, John K Sampson (best known for his work with Winnipeg band, The Weakerthans) completes a project that began with an idea, turned into a song, which turned into thousands of petition signatures, and ended with an awkward handshake with a receptionist at the Hockey Hall of Fame. Dare to watch it without feeling some hometown Winnipeg pride, as well as some love for our country, and the sport that binds it all together.
Thanks goes out to fellow Spectator contributor Johanu Botha who pointed out the video. It’s a perfect fit for The Spectator Tribune, and a great story to highlight. And kudos to Toronto based filmmaker and ‘Hockey Night in Canada’ music opening creator, Tim Thompson, for putting the video together.
“Winnipeg songwriter John K. Samson has been steadily gathering support to get the great First Nations NHL star from Riverton, Manitoba, Reggie “The Riverton Rifle” Leach into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
His song, www.ipetitions.com/petition/rivertonrifle/, written in the form of an online petition, has collected thousands of signatures from people around the world.
On Saturday, February 23rd, 2013, Samson and a choir of his comrades climbed the steps of the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto to perform the song for the last time.
They sang and marched en masse into the Hall, and as the final refrain reverberated Samson delivered a bona-fide submission putting forth Reggie Joseph Leach as a candidate eligible for election into honoured membership in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
‘We, The Undersigned’, a short film by Tim Thompson, documents the extraordinary day.”