Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faced backlash on social media Saturday night after Canada lost to the U.S. in a 4 Nations Face-Off hockey game. Prior to the match, Canadian fans were heard booing the American national anthem. As the game began, players quickly dropped their gloves, resulting in three fights within the first nine seconds. Ultimately, the U.S. secured a 3-1 victory.
Following the game, Trudeau expressed his pride in Canada on X, but his comments drew mockery from U.S. fans. In the NHL, similar booing has occurred during the U.S. national anthem, particularly after former President Trump announced tariffs on Canada, which have since been paused. Trump has also jokingly referred to Canada as potentially becoming the “51st state.”
Players have urged fans to refrain from booing. Canadian defenseman Drew Doughty addressed the issue before the game, stating, “I know what’s going on, and I understand the Canadians’ frustration, but I think we should respect the anthems. I don’t think anyone should be booing.”
U.S. defenseman Zach Werenski expressed his discontent with the booing, noting, “We knew it was going to happen. It happened the last game, and it’s been happening in the NHL before this. We obviously don’t like it.” The U.S. also faced boos before their game against Finland, which they won 6-1.
“It is what it is,” Werenski added. “We used it as motivation the best we could and found a way to get a win. But we definitely don’t like it.
