Going to a game isn’t just about watching hockey, it’s about the in-game experience. Fans surrounding you, the overpriced and oversized meals and beers, walking through the fan shops pregame even though there’s a slim chance you’re going to purchase anything – the whole shebang. Within gameplay, or rather the stoppage of gameplay, there has always been a soundtrack for the Philadelphia Flyers. The soundtrack up and through the mid-2010s felt like my mom’s choice for our high school hockey games. It was flat, classic rock. There was the occasional pop-punk song a la the NHL video games, but it was catered for an older audience. In walks, or rather skates Michael Del Zotto, known better as DJ MDZ.
Though a native Canadian, MDZ feels and looks like someone you would meet in an Atlantic City club. Through his first season with the Flyers, 2014-15, the atmosphere off-ice felt nearly identical to years past. Starting in 2015-16, the changes began. MDZ, candidly known for his mixes which can be found on his Soundcloud, started to sway the music choices for pauses in play. Should this change be solely credited to him? That’s unknown, but his influence was present as the gearing of music began to engage the younger active fans. The addition to more electronic and house remixes gave light to incorporate pop music into a digestible way accompanying the rock-heavy feeling of games.
When you scroll through MDZ’s Soundcloud, there is an absence in the Flyers name, but not mixes that were used throughout his time with the team. Still present on his account are warm-up mixes for the Ducks, Canucks, Blue Jackets, Senators, and Blues. Spoiler – they’re all bangers. They have a perfect blend of older chart toppers and current hits, creating something that can couple generations.
The mixes for pregame and stoppage of play give a different attitude than their rock counterparts. Rock when a game is going well is fine, but when the game is going poorly, a remix with a strong beat gets the crowd moving again and strips the focus from the ice for just a moment. This then creates a mental reset for the fans and for the players it’s allows for tiny cuts of slack. The introduction of such music by MDZ opened the gates for other iconic Philadelphia moments, long after his departure.
On the faithful night of February 18, 2020, the greatest mix to grace the Wells Fargo Center was dropped. DJ Reed Streets read the room to the greatest ability and introduced the warm up mix of 6ABC’s Action News theme song. As noted later on 6ABC’s broadcast, it worked like a dream as the Flyers beat Columbus 5-1.
The other way this win could have been improved was if MDZ’s arrival to Columbus came earlier, and he could have witnessed the ultimate fruition of his off-ice work. It went crazy, dummy hard, and I still play it whenever I need to be hyped up. It flooded Snapchat stories and group chats alike for weeks. Reading the replies on DJ Reed Streets’ twitter, the other fans agreed. Do I believe that the Flyers organization would have eventually found the route of beat drops and remixes? It’s a hard maybe for the consistently out-of-touch corporate ownership. Likely without knowing his power, MDZ revolutionized the arena experience for Philadelphians alike, and for the better.
Playing to an audience creates fans who want to return, even when the gameplay is less than perfect. We’ve seen this most recently with the upgraded concourses and food vendors. While the WFC should be sold out with die-hards every night, creating an environment to bring in positive experiences for new fans and visitors alike boosts the image of our team and city by proxy. If there’s anything to be more obnoxious about than being a Flyers fan, it’s loving Philly. While it’s unknown to me whether or not MDZ loved his time here, it’s clear his influence and love of a fantastic mix lives on in the lives of the orange and the black.
