MONTREAL — The atmosphere in Montreal turned tense when the crowd jeered the U.S. national anthem before the Americans faced Finland in their opening match of the Four Nations Face-Off on Thursday evening. Stanley Cup champion Matthew Tkachuk voiced his discontent succinctly, stating, “I didn’t like it, and that’s all I got,” following the U.S. team’s 6-1 victory, where both Tkachuk and his brother Brady each scored twice.
Despite a prior announcement from the public address system urging fans to show respect for both anthems and participating teams, the booing continued. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman had expressed his vision for the tournament, emphasizing hockey’s potential to unite people. He recalled previous incidents of booing in the building and noted that an announcement had successfully encouraged fans to stop, indicating a desire for mutual respect between the two nations.
U.S. center J.T. Miller offered a different perspective on the crowd’s reaction to the anthem, suggesting that while the political implications were not appealing, there was a motivating factor for the team. “I think we like it, not politically, but maybe just at a sense of, we know where we’re at in Canada and I think that fires us up more than anything,” he remarked.
The Finnish anthem, in contrast, was met with silence, highlighting a trend in which Canadian audiences have booed the U.S. anthem at NHL and NBA events following political tensions sparked by past tariffs proposed by President Donald Trump. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly acknowledged these sentiments, noting the unfortunate nature of such reactions but remained hopeful as feelings appeared to be improving.
U.S. captain Auston Matthews, who faced boos during a pregame ceremony for Canada vs. Sweden the previous evening, anticipated such reactions. Defenseman Zach Werenski agreed, suggesting it was a general disdain for the U.S. team, emphasizing his pride in his nationality without delving into the political context.
Coach Mike Sullivan acknowledged the players’ patriotism but downplayed the impact of the booing on their performance, asserting their focus on the game itself. “The anthem, I’m not sure there’s influence there. That’s really not something that we can control. We just want to play hockey. We want to compete. We want to represent our nation in the right way,” he stated.
Looking ahead, the U.S. team is scheduled to face Canada on Saturday evening before the tournament transitions to Boston in the following week.
