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At this stage in the competition, fan support is the name of the game when it comes to “American Idol.” Some contestants have the luxury of having built up a strong following on Instagram and others are proving their status with millions of YouTube views. For Tyson Venegas, he’s been able to get a boost from his hometown NHL team.
During the April 23 episode, Venegas learned that voters put him in the Top 20, leading him to perform an original song, “180,” to the crowd in hopes of earning a spot in the Top 12. His journey continued with news on the following night’s episode that voters selected into the next round.
He’d already won over the judges — Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie — by picking up one of their three Platinum Tickets during his auditions. Now, Venegas has seen support coming by way of the Vancouver Canucks.
Tyson Venegas Has a Connection with the Canucks
Getty ImagesTyson Venegas performing the Canadian national anthem at a Vancouver Canucks game.
Following his Top 20 showing, Venegas, 17, received a shout-out from the official Vancouver Canucks Twitter account. The team wrote, “BC’s own and friend of the Canucks @TysonVenegas, advances into the Top 20 of American Idol! Way to go Tyson – we’re rooting for you!” The tweet included a photo of Venegas donning the team’s jersey while in front of the show’s logo on set.
BC’s own and friend of the #Canucks, @TysonVenegas, advances into the Top 20 of American Idol! 👏🇨🇦
Way to go Tyson – we’re rooting for you!
This isn’t simply a pro team offering up their support of a hometown kid, though. Venegas, who is from the Vancouver suburb of Port Moody, actually had one of his first big breaks thanks to the hockey team.
According to an April 23 story by iHeartRadio, after winning the B.C. Junior Talent Search in 2013 along with the PNE Star Showdown when he was 9 years old, Venegas got the opportunity to sing the “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “O Canada” before a Canucks home game at Rogers Arena in 2015. In 2020, according to the iHeart Radio story, Venegas “competed on the Filipino version of ‘The Voice Teens’ but had to drop out before the ‘Knockout’ rounds due to pandemic travel restrictions.”
The Canucks Hosted Tyson Venegas in Back-to-Back Games
In addition to his younger self performing at the arena, Venegas was asked back recently after earning a Platinum Ticket on “American Idol.” He was invited for a few games, according to an Instagram post. An April 4 video showed him appearing on the arena’s jumbotron as he sang Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers.”
Another post a few days later, on April 6, showed him taking the ice to sing the Canadian national anthem ahead of the Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks game. He thanked the organization in his post and thanked the city for the love it has showed him.
New episodes of “American Idol” will on ABC on Sunday, April 30, and Monday, May 1, as Season 21 continues to progress. Venegas will next appear when the Top 12 takes on songs honoring the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with Season 8 runner-up Adam Lambert returning as a mentor. Season 21 will conclude on May 21.