Hockey fans at Ottawa Senators, Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks games booed the U.S. national anthem over the weekend, which a couple of American NHL players were asked about on Sunday.
The booing during the singing of the Star Spangled Banner comes after United States president Donald Trump announced tariffs on Canada – 25 percent on imports from Canada and 10 percent for energy imports. They’re expected to come into effect on Tuesday. Canada retaliated with a 25-percent tariff on $155 billion worth of American products.
Hours after Saturday’s announcement, fans in Ottawa followed up the jeers by cheering for the beginning of the Canadian national anthem and loudly singing along with singer Mandia Nantsios. The Senators beat the Minnesota Wild 6-0.
Although there was an accompaniment to singer Michela Sheedy in Calgary, boos were audible at the end of the American anthem, as were the singing and cheers during O Canada.
In Vancouver on Sunday, fans voiced their displeasure throughout the American anthem, booed even louder near the end and cheered as singer Agasha Mutesasira finished.
The Detroit Red Wings were the visiting squad in Calgary and Vancouver, winning 3-1 and 3-2.
Patrick Kane, who has 30 points in 43 games for Detroit this season, played on Team USA in the 2010 and 2014 Olympics, the 2016 World Cup of Hockey and junior tournaments. The Buffalo native also captained the national squad in the 2018 and 2019 World Championships.
“It’s too bad,” Kane told reporters after the overtime win over Vancouver. “It is what it is. I guess you can maybe understand it from this side, but it seems like it’s a thing that’s going around the league right now.”
Red Wings teammate Alex DeBrincat, who’s from Farmington Hills, Mich., said the jeers surprised him a little bit when asked by Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.
“It is what it is,” DeBrincat told reporters with a smile.
“I didn’t really know what was going on – I think I figured it out towards the end.”
Red Wings coach Todd McLellan, who’s from Melville, Sask., chose not to share his thoughts on what happened with the American anthem.
“I have my personal opinions on the political landscape, but I’m going to keep those to myself, and I’m going to separate that from what we’re all here for, (which) was the entertainment value of a hockey game,” McLellan said.
Fans in Toronto also booed the Star Spangled Banner at an NBA Raptors game on Sunday.
The Senators play the Nashville Predators in Tennessee on Monday night. The Tennessean asked the Senators about the fans’ response to the anthem.
“Our fans in Ottawa-Gatineau are passionate about their hockey team and their country,” the team replied in a statement.
The Flames, Canucks and league-leading Winnipeg Jets have home games on Tuesday. Calgary has another on Thursday, and Winnipeg plays again on Friday. There were no reports of booing during the U.S. anthem at the Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs game on Saturday, but Edmonton plays at home again on Friday. The Montreal Canadiens finish a California road trip this week and play at home on Saturday and Sunday.
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