American hockey fans in Nashville booed the Canadian national anthem in the NHL game between the Predators and Ottawa Senators on Monday night.
It came hours after Donald Trump had secured an apparent victory with an array of border-security concessions from Canada in exchange for a 30-day pause on tariffs.
Last week, after Trump initially announced the tariffs, Canadian hockey fans at the Senators-Minnesota Wild game booed the rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner before the game began.
Video from before the game on Monday shows audible booing for ‘O Canada’ at the Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville before silence during The Star-Spangled Banner.
But Predators head coach Andrew Brunette, who is Canadian, disliked the show of defiance from his fans during Monday’s version of ‘O Canada’ by country singer Luke Bryan.
‘I don’t like it, I don’t think we should boo either anthem either way,’ Brunette said.
Here’s both anthems at tonight’s Predators vs Senators game.
-some clear audible boos during “O Canada”
-cheering, then silence (with one very loud “Go Trump”) during Star-Spangled Banner pic.twitter.com/ULXHvQoGBk— Alex Daugherty (@AlexDaugherty1) February 4, 2025
‘The NHL has been around 100 years and the U.S. and Canada both share this game. I don’t really think there’s a place to be booing the anthem.’
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau outlined his border security measures on X on Monday.
‘I just had a good call with President Trump,’ he posted. ‘Canada is implementing our $1.3 billion border plan – reinforcing the border with new choppers, technology and personnel, enhanced coordination with our American partners, and increased resources to stop the flow of fentanyl.
‘Nearly 10,000 frontline personnel are and will be working on protecting the border.
‘Proposed tariffs will be paused for 30 days while we work together.’
The pause parallels a similar situation on the US-Mexico border, where Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum agreed to similar concessions.
Trump still has a 10-percent tariff on Chinese goods set to go into effect on Tuesday.
Reactions to the anthem drama has fallen along political and national lines.
Trump-supporting Americans have been upset to see Canadians trashing the Star-Spangled Banner, while patriot Canadians have remained steadfast in their opposition to the tariffs.
Several fans voiced their desire to see sporting events do away with anthems altogether.
‘We could stop doing anthems at any time,’ one person wrote on X.
