Maple Leafs react to Joseph Woll, Mitch Marner singing at Kygo concert

During Kygo’s performance of the hit song ‘Stargazing’ Marner and Woll were invited onstage to sing where they gave it their best shot. You can tell there are some nerves on both of their part but that didn’t stop the two from having a good time with one of the world’s most popular DJs.

Woll spoke with reporters at practice on Friday about the experience and he revealed that he also gifted the Norwegian native a custom mask before his concert.

“We made a Kygo helmet to give him. It was pretty sweet. I was really happy to meet him,” he said. “ During that time, I think the manager [Myles Shear] was asking if I wanted to go sing Stargazing. I warned him, ‘I’m not much of a singer. I can maybe play the piano or something.’ But singing was the only option, so I went up. We got Mitch to come up too, so I think it would’ve been a lot more nerve-wracking if it was just me up there. Mitch maybe helped me out a bit.”

He added that the most nerve-wracking part of the experience was trying to remember all the lyrics and being on the stage for the entirety of the song. That didn’t stop Woll from having a great time and getting the opportunity to meet one of his favourite artists.

“ When I listen to music, there’s certain music I listen to the words And there’s certain music I just listen to the sounds and the melodies,” he explained. “ Kygo is one that I really listen and I love his melodies. I think it’s unbelievable how creative he is and how much emotion he can write into his melodies, that’s something that’s not easy. I know I look up to him with time in terms of music so it was really amazing to meet him.”

While Marner and Woll will be the first to admit that they don’t have the singing chops, the fact remains that they were given a nice honour by being invited up on stage to join Kygo. It is a memory that the two will never forget, even if both players were nervous going into it.

As for the rest of the team, they saw the video in question and they chirped Marner and Woll pretty good though not too much because they also don’t have the vocal chops.

“A couple laughs and probably to work on the vocal chords a little bit,” forward Bobby McMann said of the performance. “”Yeah. I think that’s a pretty cool honour to get out there. I think I would try to get up there. The heart would be racing a little bit, wouldn’t really have the vocal chords either. So I can’t really chirp too much, but yeah it’d be cool.”

When asked who would be his dream duet if he was allowed to go on stage, McMann chose Michael Jackson because he felt his concerts back in the day were cool.

“ There’s been a lot. There’s been quite a bit. Most of it from me, to be honest,” forward Ryan Reaves said on how much the Leafs players were giving it to Marner and Woll in a playful way. “I was surprised in the rhythm that came out of him there. But he’s great at the piano. I know he DJs a little bit, he makes music on the side. Hopefully, he just doesn’t get caught dancing to his music anymore.”

Captain Auston Matthews smiled when he asked about the performance, jokingly saying he could get through the video once. But he was also quick to point out that Marner does well when the team goes out for karaoke night.

“He’s a good karaoke guy,” he said. “ I don’t know about Woller how experienced he is in the karaoke department. But Mitch, he can sing pretty good, he can dance pretty good. I mean, I could never do it so you gotta give him props for going out there.”

Perhaps the harshest critique of all members of the team was head coach Craig Berube who was in the room when the video was played out to the team prior to practice. Like his captain, he too gave his feedback with a smile on his face.

“Not very good,” he laughed. “We showed it to the team. They saw it first hand. Stick to playing a piano.”

In any case, the players seemed to have a bonding experience in watching Marner and Woll go on stage with Kygo. The main thing is it was all in good fun and the two players will have a memory that will last a lifetime. Who knows, perhaps the song ‘Stargaving’ now becomes some sort of rally song for the Leafs of the rest of the season similar to other popular tracks like ‘Gloria’ and ‘All The Small Things’.