Boston hockey fans vocally booed the Canadian national anthem at the Canada-Finland game that took place at the iconic and historic TD Garden, likely in retaliation to how Canadian fans behaved during the game in Montreal.
In Montreal, during the 4 Nations Face-Off, Canadian fans were heard jeering as “The Star-Spangled Banner” played, a gesture that didn’t go unnoticed. Following this, a scrappy game ensued, which saw three fights break out, and ended with a 3-1 victory for the U.S. Team, with some players saying they used the heckling as motivation to play their best. Fast forward to Sunday, as the TD Garden crowd in Boston heard Canada’s national anthem play – and some fans returned the favor by booing.
This may have taken some by surprise, as Boston is known for its left-wing politics, with residents often expressing more admiration for the policies championed by their neighbors to the north than those of Trump and his supporters. Despite their overwhelming rejection of Trump on Election Day, it seems that Trump’s efforts to reestablish widespread patriotism and American pride have been effective early on — even among his most vocal detractors.
Trump’s trade wars have heightened tensions between Canada and the United States to a level unforeseen in this lifetime, with Canadians exhibiting noteworthy hostility to the United States — in sharp contrast to their long-established international reputation for politeness and kindness. But outside of hockey arenas and store owners removing American goods from shelves (that they’ve already purchased), they’ve had little effect on the American consumer.
For those who follow hockey, the ongoing tension between the two countries was palpable. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his pride in Canada after hearing the boos, but U.S. players, such as Zach Werenski, voiced their displeasure with the jeers. “We knew it was going to happen,” Werenski admitted. “It happened the last game, it’s been happening in the NHL before this, and we knew tonight was going to be the same way. We obviously don’t like it.”
As Trump continues his unconventional leadership, demanding a reversal of policies that he’s described as taking advantage of the United States and its citizens, jockeying on the world stage for better deals and reversing decades of taxpayer funds flowing outward with minimal return on investment, Americans in every corner of the country and all political persuasions may find surges of patriotism in unlikely places.
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Why didn’t the Canadian authorities not arrest the booers in their stadiums. I thought they had strict laws regarding negative speech.