Fans at NBA and NHL games in Canada have made a habit in recent weeks of booing during the pregame playing of the U.S. national anthem in protest of President Donald Trump’s escalating tensions with the country since taking office.
As the NHL hosts the 4 Nations Face-Off, an All-Star tournament that features American and Canadian squads, Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly joined Bloomberg’s Business of Sports podcast and responded to the protests.
“I think it’s obviously an unfortunate situation. I don’t think anybody likes when anthems are booed or disrespected in any way, and certainly we count ourselves among that group,” Daly said.
“We’ve been monitoring the situation since events started to transpire. I do think it’s ebbing a little bit. 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.”
In early February, Trump announced 25 percent tariffs on goods imported from Canada. Shortly after, according to Deadline, fans booed during “The Star-Spangled Banner” before a game in which the Toronto Raptors hosted the Los Angeles Clippers and at NHL games in Calgary, Ottawa, and Vancouver.
Contrary to what Daly said to Bloomberg, fans in Montreal watching America’s first game in the 4 Nations Face-Off followed suit. Audible boos reportedly poured in despite the arena’s PA announcer asking for respect for both countries — and commissioner Gary Bettman calling for the same in a pregame press conference.
In addition to the taxes on imported goods, Trump has teased Canada about becoming the 51st American state.
Trump attended the Super Bowl in New Orleans without much fanfare, but it would appear Canadians aren’t going to quiet down any time soon.
