MONTREAL — During the 4 Nations Face-Off matchup on Saturday night, spectators in Montreal expressed their displeasure by booing the U.S. national anthem prior to the game between the United States and Canada. This marked the second occurrence of such an incident in just two matches played by the U.S. in the international tournament organized by the NHL.
The booing began as warrant officer David Grenon from the Royal Canadian Air Force Band commenced singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” and persisted for its entire duration. The incident followed a request from public address announcer Michel Lacroix, who urged the crowd—speaking in both French and English—to respect the anthems and the athletes representing each country. Compared to the previous event where the U.S. faced Finland, the volume of discontent from the crowd at the Bell Centre was significantly louder this time around.
After the U.S. triumphed over Canada with a score of 3-1, defenseman Zach Werenski addressed the crowd’s reaction, acknowledging it was expected. “It happened the last game; it’s been occurring in the NHL before this, and we knew tonight would be similar. Obviously, we don’t appreciate it,” he stated. U.S. players have been attempting to ignore the negative response. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, following a 6-1 victory over Finland, noted he chose to disregard the booing. “You can do whatever you want; if you’re going to boo the anthem, we sing it for the troops that protected our freedom,” he remarked, expressing that the disrespectful show did not impact him.
Werenski mentioned that the reactions from the crowd fueled the U.S. team in their usual villainous role while competing in Canada. “We kind of had an idea and used it as motivation the best we could to achieve a win,” he commented, though he also expressed discontent about the situation. Matthew Tkachuk, a forward for the U.S., initiated a scuffle against Canada’s Brandon Hagel right at the beginning of the game, igniting a sequence of fights that unfolded within nine seconds. Tkachuk dismissed any connection between the brawls and the booing, indicating that the players simply enjoyed the competitive atmosphere.
Winger Jake Guentzel, who played a key role in the match by scoring twice, including a decisive empty-net goal, remarked on the thrilling environment. “It’s unbelievable to play on this stage in Canada. The excitement from our team during warmups, seeing how packed it was, was pretty special,” he said.
The ongoing booing incidents are a reflection of rising tensions, stemming in part from former President Donald Trump’s comments that suggested Canada might become “the 51st state,” accompanied by threats of tariffs that fueled dissatisfaction among Canadians. Veteran defenseman Drew Doughty from the Canadian team expressed his disapproval of the booing, acknowledging the frustrations but advocating for respect towards national anthems. “I think we should respect the anthems and stuff like that. I don’t think anyone should be booing,” he stated.
