When NHL's 2014 mumps outbreak sparked hockey fan's version of Taylor Swift's "Blank Space"

In December 2014, the NHL faced a mumps outbreak that affected several players across different teams. It started with three players on the Anaheim Ducks, including former Ducks forward Corey Perry. It quickly spread to others, and with each passing day, news of new players who caught it was a common thing. Sidney Crosby was one of the big names in the league who had it and missed several games due to swelling in his face.

It was somewhat similar to COVID-19 being contagious. The situation was so unusual that a fan, Tally Deushane, wrote a parody song about it. Set to Taylor Swift's "Blank Space," the song humorously described the outbreak and its impact on players. Deushane used a ukulele to perform the song, which was uploaded on YouTube on Dec. 16, 2014. It quickly became popular among NHL fans online and FOX Sports and Sportsnet talked about it.

Here is the intro from the parody song.

Nice to meet you where you been
I can show you incredible things
Fever, swelling, headache, pain
Saw you there and I thought
“Oh my God, look at that face
You look like the next outbreak”
It's just a game, why did you plaaaaaay?

And here is the chorus.

Yeah, it's totally contagious
Wait 'til it hits the Flames
When I log on Twitter (mmm)
I see another name
Got a long list of infected
Guys playing through the pain
'Cause you know I love the players
But it's just a game

The NHL's mumps outbreak was serious, but it led to a funny fan-created anthem that captured the moment.

NHL teams and players who were hit by the Mumps outbreak

In 2014, the mumps virus spread quickly among players and staff. Here are the teams and players involved:

Anaheim Ducks: Corey Perry, Francois Beauchemin, Clayton Stoner, Emerson Etem.

Minnesota Wild: Ryan Suter, Keith Ballard, Marco Scandella, Jonas Brodin, Christian Folin.

New Jersey Devils: Travis Zajac, Adam Larsson, Patrik Elias, Scott Clemmensen, Michael Ryder.

New York Rangers: Tanner Glass, Derick Brassard, Joey Crabb, Lee Stempniak.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Sidney Crosby, Beau Bennett, Olli Maatta, Steve Downie, Thomas Greiss.

St. Louis Blues: Joakim Lindstrom, Jori Lehtera (suspected cases).

NHL Officials: Referee Eric Furlatt, linesman Steve Miller.

The outbreak caused health concerns across the league, leading to vaccinations and safety measures. Most players recovered without serious issues.

About the author

Ankit is an NHL journalist at Sportskeeda with over 3 years of experience in the writing industry. He has expertise in sports, product, and travel content writing. His interest in ice hockey was piqued after watching Sidney Crosby play and he has been passionately following the game since then. Ankit admires Crosby’s personality and hockey IQ, and when he crossed the 1,500 points tally, Ankit was among the biggest fans to celebrate the occasion.

An Edmonton Oilers fan because of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Ankit also admires the Pittsburgh Penguins due to Crosby and the Colorado Avalanche for Nathan MacKinnon. He is also a fan of Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr.

Holding a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Language, Ankit believes his education has helped him develop a knack for presenting information in a precise and compelling manner. He only sources information from credible avenues and trusted people from his network for his articles.

When he is not watching or writing about the NHL, Ankit loves listening to music and reading books.

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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez