MONTREAL \u2014 Once the Bell Centre fans were done booing the American national anthem, they switched the tempo and delivered a memorable and heartfelt rendition of \u201cO Canada\u201d on Saturday night<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In an energy-packed building, the jeers began when warrant officer David Grenon of the Royal Canadian Air Force Band launched into the opening lyrics of \u201cThe Star-Spangled Banner\u201d ahead of the United States\u2019 3-1 win over Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Of<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The mood dramatically flipped when Grenon began singing \u201cO Canada.\u201d He asked fans to sing along with him before raising the mic to the crowd, which passionately belted out the country\u2019s anthem<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEverybody\u2019s singing along,\u201d said Connor Weishar of Walkerton, Ont. \u201cMan, that was just beautiful to listen to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Canadian team received a hero\u2019s welcome when players skated onto the ice after being introduced by legendary MMA fighter Georges St-Pierr<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Under the watchful eye of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Montreal spectators still lustily booed despite public address announcer Michel Lacroix\u2019s request for fans to respect both anthems<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The tension spilled onto the ice when the players delivered one of the most memorable starts to an international hockey game, lining up for three fights in the opening nine seconds<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Canada\u2019s Brandon Hagel scrapped with forward Matthew Tkachuk off the opening faceoff before Sam Bennett dropped the gloves with the U.S.\u2018s Brady Tkachuk on the ensuing draw<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Seconds later, Canadian defenceman Colton Parayko went fist-for-fist with J.T. Miller as the crowd lost its mi<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEmotional start. Both teams wanted it,\u201d Canadian captain Sidney Crosby said. \u201cThe building was into it. I thought it was a great start. That\u2019s a lot of emotion, a lot of intensity. That\u2019s what we expected.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Saturday marked another instance of the American anthem being disrupted at Canadian sporting events in recent weeks after President Donald Trump announced potentially crippling tariffs and continues to muse about Canada becoming a 51st state<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou got their president saying we\u2019re gonna be their 51st state, I don\u2019t like that,\u201d said Jared Olsen of Lethbridge, Alta. \u201cWhy would I be any kind of encouraging about that? That\u2019s just the silliest thing I\u2019ve heard out of any president in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A number of fans booed the U.S. anthem Thursday night when the Americans played Finland, continuing a trend from NHL games in Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver. There were also boos at recent home games of Canada\u2019s lone NBA franchise, the Toronto Raptor<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not all Canadians, however, are on board<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think that\u2019s poor form. We all know who we\u2019re here to cheer for, but I think there\u2019s just an acceptable level of decorum,\u201d said Kimberly MacDougal of Peterborough, Ont. \u201cWe can do better as Canadians. I was disappointed to see that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A month-long tariff pause on goods entering the U.S. from Canada was negotiated Feb. 3, but Trump slapped 25 per cent duties on all steel and aluminum imports into the U.S. on Monda<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many Americans understood why Canadians were voicing their displeasur<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think there\u2019s people from the U.S. that would boo the U.S. anthem at the moment,\u201d said U.S. fan Jillian Gallagher of Chicago. \u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s specifically so rude for Canadians to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kelli Regan, a Canadian fan from Calgary, believes the threats have sparked a surge in national pride, as evidenced by the stirring version of \u201cO Canada\u201d on Saturday<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI really hope this pulls nation together from west coast to East Coast,\u201d she said<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fans mostly refrained from booing last weekend when Lacroix asked spectators to respect the anthems during two Montreal Canadiens games. There was no anthem booing in Halifax for a recent Rivalry Series game between the Canadian and American women\u2019s national teams<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Players and coaches from both Canada and the U.S. have mostly voiced that fans should hold back<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019d like to see all anthems respected,\u201d Canada star Connor McDavid said. \u201cThat\u2019s all I\u2019ll really say, but I\u2019d like to see the anthems respected.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cObviously don\u2019t love to see that, but it is what it is,\u201d U.S. captain Auston Matthews added<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fans also booed the American team when it skated onto the ice before puck drop Saturday, but that kind of treatment is hardly unusual for Canada\u2019s biggest rival<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Political tensions or not, the pro-Canada crowd was charged with energy as the two hockey powerhouses met for the first game featuring their top NHL stars in almost a decade<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Canada opened the tournament with a nail-biting 4-3 overtime win Wednesday against Sweden. The U.S., meanwhile, bulldozed its way to a 6-1 win over Finland<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 4 Nations is considered an appetizer for the NHL\u2019s return to the Olympics in 2026. NHL players participated in five Olympics between 1998 an 2014, before missing the 2018 and 2022 Games<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The tournament shifts to Boston for a pair of round-robin games Monday before next Thursday\u2019s final<\/p>\n\n\n\n
American fans expected the pro-U.S. crowd to return the favour when \u201cO Canada\u201d is played south of the borde<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI would expect the fans in Boston to probably retaliate with some hefty booing of their own,\u201d said U.S. fan Johnathan Bellotti of Chicago<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MONTREAL \u2014 Once the Bell Centre fans were done booing the American national anthem, they switched the tempo and delivered a memorable and heartfelt rendition of \u201cO Canada\u201d on Saturday night In an energy-packed building, the jeers began when warrant officer David Grenon of the Royal Canadian Air Force Band launched into the opening lyrics […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":33537,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"format":"standard"},"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"jnews_post_split":[],"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[48],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n