Hockey playoffs are always intense, but sometimes it’s not the game itself that steals the spotlight—it’s the national anthem.
That’s exactly what happened before Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers.
Fans were left shaking their heads after Adam David, the latest winner of The Voice, performed the Star-Spangled Banner in a way that didn’t sit well with many.
A Struggle with the Lyrics and an Unexpectedly Long Performance
Adam David’s rendition of the anthem quickly became the talk of social media—but not for good reasons.
Right from the start, listeners noticed he seemed to mumble through key parts of the lyrics, especially struggling with the famous line “at the twilight’s last gleaming.”
It didn’t just sound unclear; it felt like he was dragging the song out forever.
His performance clocked in at a surprising two minutes and eleven seconds.
To put that in perspective, entertainment experts say the anthem typically lasts around one minute and forty-three seconds—like at the Super Bowl.
So David’s extended version was noticeably longer, leaving fans frustrated.
Social Media Reacts with Humor and Frustration
As the news spread, fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to share their reactions, and the tone was overwhelmingly critical.
ESPN’s hockey writer Greg Wyshynski cracked a joke about how the “military hero of the game is 100 years old,” adding humor about the anthem’s length making the vet even older.
Other users were less kind, calling the performance “slow,” “mumbled,” and even questioning if David was having a medical emergency.
Comments like “this guy should not sing the National Anthem ever again” and “what was the name of the word-slurring inebriated dude?” showed just how disappointed many were.
Fans Didn’t Hold Back Their Disappointment
The criticism didn’t just stay on social media—they poured out in all directions.
One angry fan complained, “Terrible anthem in Florida… dragged it onnnn and onnnn.
It’s not about you, dufus.” Another pointed out how disrespectful it felt to perform that way in front of a 100-year-old World War II veteran attending the game.
Dylan Housman, Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Caller, called the performance “brutal” and noted that forgetting the words in such a significant moment was unacceptable.
Even some fans tried to find humor in the disappointment, sarcastically congratulating Hurricanes fans because, in their view, their anthem singer from the previous game had also been a topic of complaints, but at least David wasn’t the worst.
The Anthem Controversy Continues to Stir Debate
This isn’t the first time anthem performances have sparked debate at sports events, and it probably won’t be the last.
With emotions already running high during playoff season, the expectations for the anthem are just as intense.
For now, Adam David’s performance has become one of those memorable moments—just not for the reasons he probably hoped.