The United States and Canada rekindled their hockey rivalry Saturday in Montreal, and the tension may have been greater than ever.
However, the tension was raised by the fans and their politics.
Before the puck dropped at Bell Centre Saturday, Canadian fans booed the playing of the "Star-Spangled Banner" for the second time in as many games involving the U.S. in the tournament.
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Fans booed despite the public address announcer pleading with them to "respect" both anthems and the players. The U.S. anthem was sung first and booed throughout.
The boos were louder due to the nature of the contest because the two countries are considered hockey powerhouses and have had classic matchups at all levels. However, the jeers were mostly a response to President Donald Trump and his proposed 25% tariffs on goods coming from Canada to the U.S. Trump has also said Canada could become the "51st state."
The Canadian crowd did the same Thursday before the Americans faced Finland, and the game sounded like a Canada home game when Finland jumped out to a 1-0 lead early. USA won the game. 6-1.
Raptors and Senators fans also booed the "Star-Spangled Banner" earlier this month when American teams visited Toronto and Ottawa. Vancouver Canucks announcer John Shorthouse even joked that a penalty would be 2½ minutes because of the 25% tariffs.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was also in attendance in a Team Canada jersey. Trudeau said he was resigning after pressure from within his own Liberal Party increasingly grew amid heightened criticism over his handling of the economy and threats from Trump.
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Michelle Kwan, a California native, was also booed while introducing the Team USA players. Kwan served as the United States Ambassador to Belize during Joe Biden's presidency.
Saturday marks the first time the United States and Canada are facing each other in a best-on-best format since 2016 during the World Cup of Hockey, which will return in 2028 after a 12-year hiatus.
Canada has won 13 consecutive games when NHL players fill out rosters. Perhaps the most famous USA-Canada game was the 2010 Olympic gold medal game in Vancouver, when Sidney Crosby scored in overtime to give the home team gold.
NHL executive Bill Daly said this week the league was "monitoring" the "unfortunate" situation and was hoping fans would respect the national anthem.
"I do think it’s ebbing a little bit," Daly said. "Our experience just this past week in Montreal was a positive experience, with two American teams playing there. So, I hope that that will continue. Sport is a way of breaking down barriers and bringing people closer together, and we hope that this tournament can help do that, for sure."
A win in regulation on Saturday would clinch an appearance in a one-game final for the U.S.
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