If our American friends feel they have been poorly treated by Canadian hockey fans booing their anthem, they can take some comfort knowing they are not the first country to be given that treatment here.
We are.
In the not-so-long-ago days of official-language tension, anglophone fans at sports venues booed O Canada when the singer switched from English to French. At the venerable old Montreal Forum and at Olympic Stadium, fans occasionally booed when part of the lyrics were sung in English.
And at Le Colisée in Quebec City, fans sometimes booed when O Canada was sung at all—regardless of the language.
Nationalism and federalism are not always the same thing, and sometimes they can make for a weird dynamic.
It’s a hockey rink folks, not a concert hall. People bring their passions with them after their hard workday, and they are there to make some noise. When we fans wear the home team’s gear, we put everything on display: our unity, our solidarity, our love of the game; our knowledge as well as our ignorance. We love to let it all out.
When the world’s newest authoritarian announces that he expects to annex Canada, we can leave the carefully-worded statements to our politicians and bureaucrats. We can send our diplomats to convey tactful protests and strategic political signals to the U.S. and to our allies.
But by God, if you’re coming into our barn you’re going to hear from us.
Trump has claimed that Canadians want to become the 51st state. If any of his supporters were inclined to believe him, they have now heard from us—directly and unmistakeably—that he has that little notion all wrong.
Our game is known for a couple of things: brutally intense competitiveness, and an almost charming sense of sportsmanship. After a friendly beer-league match or a fierce and bloody Stanley Cup playoff series, the teams line up and shake hands.
In 1981, the Soviet hockey team won the Canada Cup. When they packed up the trophy to take home, Alan Eagleson (remember him?) had the Montreal police seize it from them. People in Winnipeg, incensed at Canada’s poor sportsmanship, chipped in to make a full-size replica which was presented to the Soviets—the despised Soviets, mind you—at Portage and Main.
In 2014 and again in 2023, Toronto Maple Leaf fans en masse picked up singing The Star-Spangled Banner when the sound system crapped out on the anthem singer.
So to offended Americans, let me remind you: this is hockey, not war. But we are fans, not just polite observers.
And we are Canadians. Never forget that.
A personal note: as a retired military musician, I couldn’t have been prouder of Warrant Officer David Grenon of the RCAF Band Saturday night. He knew full well the crowd might boo the U.S. anthem, but he sang it beautifully. He left no room to doubt his musicianship, his professionalism, or his commitment to the task at hand. Bravo!
– JG
Terrific, Jeff. Keep up the good work and the fight!