Canadian fans booing the American national anthem has been the talk of the NHL this past week. On Sunday, the Vancouver Canucks crowd made their stance clear against their southern neighbors.
Canadian hockey fans have been vocal about their frustrations with recent developments in the U.S. Last week, boos were heard during the American national anthem when the Minnesota Wild played the Ottawa Senators, as well as during a game between the Detroit Red Wings and Calgary Flames.
A trade war is currently brewing between the U.S. and Canada, and Canadian hockey fans are making their stance known. In Vancouver on Sunday, ahead of the Canucks’ game against the Detroit Red Wings, loud boos echoed through the arena as singer Agasha Mutesasira performed The Star-Spangled Banner. However, when Mutesasira transitioned to O Canada, the crowd erupted in cheers and joined in singing.
Canadians boo the national anthem
The protests stem from President Donald Trump’s executive order imposing tariffs on Canadian imports. Judging by the footage from Sunday’s game, a significant portion of the crowd took part in booing the American anthem. But this isn’t just happening in the NHL—similar scenes played out during a Toronto Raptors game on Sunday.
With tensions rising between Canada and the U.S.—both in trade and on the ice—hockey fans are already looking ahead to the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off, where Team USA will face Canada in Montreal. If things don’t change by then, we can only imagine how loud the boos will be during the national anthem.
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