The DJ at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, is apologizing after trolling the Oilers by playing La Bamba following Edmonton’s loss to the Stars on Saturday night.
The DJ played the Los Lobos song as the Oilers were leaving the ice following a 3-1 loss in Game 2 of the Western Conference final.
La Bamba is the Oilers’ victory song, which is played after every win at Rogers Place. The song has special meaning to the team and its fans, with ties to the Oilers late locker room attendant Joey Moss and the late Ben Stelter, a six-year-old Oilers superfan who lost his battle with cancer in 2022.
Oilers fans were quick to call out the DJ and make him aware of the significance of the song.
On Sunday, Dallas Stars’ DJ Jonathon (Shippy) Shipman took to social media to apologize. He said playing the opposing team’s win song after a loss is something he does to poke fun at the team.
“I’m sorry, Oilers fans. If I knew what I know now about the significance of La Bamba to your franchise and fan base, I certainly would not have played it,” he wrote on his X account @ShippySpins.
“I thought it was just a happy, fun win song. Thank you to all the Oilers fans who have been so understanding. Much love!”
The DJ said he also made a donation to the Ben Stelter Foundation, and encouraged other Stars fans to do the same.
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A spokesperson for the Ben Stelter Foundation said Monday afternoon that the organization had received more than $10,000, with donations ranging from $5 to $500.
“I think it was an honest mistake by the DJ,” said Ashif Mawji, chair of the Ben Stelter Foundation. “They probably didn’t know what the song meant to the city. And so he apologized and he donated and subsequently, we have a whole bunch of fans from Dallas who are donating and now even fans from Edmonton and the rest of Canada who are donating.”
Mawji said he’s been thinking about how the little boy would have reacted to Dallas playing the song.
“I think he would still cheer, he would laugh, he would giggle, and he would be like: ‘Yeah, because the Oilers are going to win the series.”
It also might give the Oilers more fire in their play, Mawji said.
“I think it gives the team a lot more energy. It’s their song and I’m sure they heard it in the locker room. And so yeah, it just gives them more drive.”
Stelter passed away in 2022 after a two-year battle with an aggressive type of brain cancer cancer called glioblastoma. He captured the hearts of the Oilers players, organization and fans. Stelter lovingly became known for his enthusiastic “Play La Bamba, Baby!” phrase.
Stelter would have been eight years old on Monday.
“The family is very strong, they’re resilient and they’re focused on building Ben’s legacy,” Mawji said. “They just want to make him proud.”
In honour of his birthday, Stelter’s dad, Mike, posted on Instagram wishing his “Benny Boy” a happy birthday.
For his son’s birthday, Mike Stelter also asked people to please consider making a donation of any amount to the Ben Stelter Foundation.
“I know he would love it, and you can help other kids fighting just like Ben,” Mike Stelter wrote.
Moss died in 2020 at the age of 57. He was a beloved member of the Edmonton Oilers organization for decades. La Bamba was one of Moss’s favourite songs.
The Oilers-Stars series is tied at one game a piece and returns to Edmonton on Monday night. The puck drops between the Oilers and Stars just after 6:30 p.m. MT.
With files from Emily Mertz, Global News
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