From a Silly Idea to a Full-Blown Arena Ritual
If you've been to an Ottawa Charge game lately, you've probably heard it before you've seen it — a low, buzzing chorus rising from the stands every time the puck finds the back of the net. It's not a vuvuzela. It's not a cowbell. It's a kazoo. And the story of how this humble plastic instrument became one of the PWHL's most recognizable fan traditions is pure Ottawa.
Back in the Charge's second PWHL season, a small group of friends hatched a plan that was equal parts goofy and genius: show up to a game armed with kazoos and see what happens. The idea was simple — give Ottawa's growing women's hockey fanbase something fun, something loud, and something entirely their own.
What happened next surprised even the people who started it.
The Sound That Spreads
CBC reporter Emma Weller caught up with the original kazoo crew to find out how the tradition has evolved, and the short answer is: far beyond anyone's expectations. What began as a handful of friends buzzing in the stands quickly caught fire. Word spread through social media, other Charge supporters started showing up with their own kazoos, and before long, entire sections of the arena were humming in unison.
There's something genuinely infectious about a kazoo chorus. Unlike a drum kit or a brass section, a kazoo is democratic. Anyone can play one. No musical training required, no special gear, no significant expense — just a little breath and a lot of enthusiasm. That accessibility is part of what makes it such a perfect fan tool.
Building Culture in Real Time
The kazoo tradition isn't just a quirky footnote. It's a snapshot of the grassroots fan culture that has grown up around the PWHL since the league's inaugural 2023–24 season. Professional women's hockey is still writing its history in Canada, and fan rituals like this one are how teams build identity from the ground up.
Ottawa's Charge faithful have been loud and creative from day one — coordinated chants, handmade signs, and now a full kazoo section that opposing teams definitely hear during warmups. Fans aren't just spectators here; they're co-authors of what this team is becoming.
For the original group of friends who showed up with a bag of kazoos and a hunch, it was never really about the instrument. It was about showing up for a team that deserves every ounce of noise the city can muster.
Try It Yourself
If you're heading to a Charge game this season, consider picking up a kazoo on the way. You don't need to know how to play — nobody does, technically — and you'll fit right in with the growing section of Ottawa fans who've made buzzing their love language.
That's the beauty of a tradition born from a silly idea between friends: it belongs to everyone willing to join in.
Source: CBC News. Original report by Emma Weller for CBC Sports.
