Michel Lacroix鈥檚 voice boomed around the Bell Centre.
The building鈥檚 legendary public address announcer asked fans to respect both the United States and Finland ahead of Thursday鈥檚 game at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Many in attendance ignored that request.
Large sections of the crowd booed the American national anthem ahead of the game, which the U.S. won 6-1 thanks to a four-goal third period.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 like it, and that鈥檚 all I got,鈥� forward Matthew Tkachuk, who finished with two goals and an assist, said of the jeers throughout anthem singer Alexandre Sylvestre鈥檚 rendition of 鈥淭he Star-Spangled Banner.鈥�
Fans at NHL games in Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver booed the U.S. anthem in recent weeks after President Donald Trump announced potentially crippling tariffs 鈥� a 30-day reprieve was negotiated Feb. 3 鈥� and continues to muse about making the country鈥檚 northern neighbour its 51st state.
There were also boos at recent home games of Canada鈥檚 lone NBA franchise, the Toronto Raptors.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 really not something that we can control,鈥� U.S. head coach Mike Sullivan added Thursday night. 鈥淲e just want to play hockey. We want to compete. We want to represent our nation in the right way.鈥�
The Americans were also loudly jeered when they hit the ice ahead of puck drop and again during player introductions. There were no boos during Finland鈥檚 anthem.
Canada and the U.S. are set to meet at the 4 Nations on Saturday night back at the Bell Centre.
鈥淓veryone has their own views on things,鈥� American defenceman Brock Faber said. 鈥淚鈥檓 honoured to wear the red, white and blue. For us, we鈥檙e just focused on winning games.鈥�
American supporters in attendance Thursday started a 鈥淯-S-A! U-S-A!鈥� chant just before puck drop only to be drowned out.
鈥淭hese guys are hockey players, and they鈥檙e here to play hockey,鈥� Sullivan said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e also proud Americans and it鈥檚 a privilege to represent your nation, and all of us that have the opportunity to participate and be part of this U.S. team. It means a lot to all of us.
鈥淭o represent our nation is something that we think is bigger than ourselves or the sport.鈥�
Despite the blanket tariff pause on goods entering from Canada, Trump slapped 25 per cent duties on all steel and aluminum imports into the U.S. on Monday, including Canadian products.
鈥淚 think we like it, not politically,鈥� U.S. forward J.T. Miller said of the crowd vitriol. 鈥淏ut maybe just at a sense of, we know where we鈥檙e at in Canada and I think that fires us up more than anything.
鈥淚t鈥檚 great.鈥�
Crowds in Montreal have booed the U.S. anthem at NHL games in the past, including after the country鈥檚 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Lacroix also asked fans to respect the anthem when the trend initially started, and many obliged.
There was no anthem booing in Halifax for a recent Rivalry Series game between the Canadian and American women鈥檚 hockey teams.
The 4 Nations marks NHL players鈥� return to high-level international hockey and is a teaser ahead of the Olympic tournament.
Deputy commissioner Bill Daly was asked Wednesday about the potential booing of the U.S. anthem and if the league was planning to take any action.
鈥淚t鈥檚 unfortunate, obviously, and we wish it wasn鈥檛 the case,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut from time to time things happen and people have strong feelings about it, and obviously we鈥檙e aware of what鈥檚 been happening here.
鈥淚 think the negativity has probably lessened over the last week. Hopefully it continues to lessen and that relations will be normal, but it鈥檚 something obviously we鈥檙e aware of and we鈥檒l follow.鈥�
