Canadian sports fans have recently engaged in widespread booing of the U.S. national anthem at NBA and NHL games, reflecting ongoing tensions over trade policies. This behavior began on February 2-3, 2025, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of new tariffs targeting Canadian imports, and persisted even after a temporary suspension of these measures on February 5[1][3][7].
Key Incidents
- Toronto Raptors (NBA): Fans booed “The Star-Spangled Banner” before games on February 2 (vs. LA Clippers) and February 5 (vs. New York Knicks), with louder cheers for “O Canada.” Attendee Joseph Chua described deliberate efforts to avoid U.S. products, calling the tariffs “bitter”[5][6][7].
- Vancouver Canucks (NHL): Crowds jeered the U.S. anthem on February 2 and 5, despite the Canucks’ 3-0 win over Colorado on the latter date. Singer Elizabeth Irving received applause only after transitioning to the Canadian anthem[1][2][3].
- Ottawa Senators and Calgary Flames (NHL): Similar booing occurred on February 1–2, with Ottawa fans later enthusiastically singing “O Canada” during a 6-0 victory over Minnesota[2][3].
Context and Reactions
The backlash stems from Trump’s February 1 executive orders imposing 25% tariffs on most Canadian goods and 10% on energy imports, which Canada countered with $155 billion in retaliatory tariffs[2][4][8]. Though the U.S. paused tariffs for 30 hours on February 5 after negotiations with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, frustrations lingered[1][7].
Notable responses:
- Detroit Red Wings’ Patrick Kane called the booing “unfortunate” but acknowledged it as a league-wide trend[2][5].
- Raptors forward Chris Boucher linked the reaction to unprecedented tariff levels, asking reporters, “Have you ever seen us getting taxed like that?”[5].
Historical Precedent
Booing the U.S. anthem in Canada is rare but has occurred during geopolitical disputes, such as the early-2000s Iraq War protests[4][5].
Ongoing Developments
The tariff pause includes a U.S. demand for stricter Canadian border controls to curb fentanyl trafficking, despite Canada accounting for just 0.2% of U.S. fentanyl seizures[1][3]. While booing diminished slightly post-pause, the sentiment highlights enduring economic and diplomatic strains[7].
Citations:
[1] https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/05/sport/canadian-fans-boo-national-anthem-spt-intl/index.html
[2] https://sports.yahoo.com/reactions-trickle-fans-ottawa-calgary-190302010.html
[3] https://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/boo-us-anthem-canadian-sports-tarriff-pause-1.7450727
[4] https://apnews.com/article/fans-boo-national-anthem-tariffs-canada-2c7210574c0373348870a94445814407
[5] https://time.com/7212302/raptors-fans-boo-american-national-anthem-trump-tariffs-us-canada/
[6] https://www.npr.org/2025/02/03/nx-s1-5284859/canada-trump-tariffs-boo-national-anthem
[7] https://apnews.com/article/fans-boo-anthem-toronto-52a3c5add9de9239bc219c7496679b1c
[8] https://www.euronews.com/2025/02/03/star-mangled-banner-canadian-sports-fans-boo-us-anthem-after-trump-tariffs
[9] https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3348gk8my0o
[10] https://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/boo-us-anthem-canadian-sports-tarriff-pause-1.7450727
[11] https://globalnews.ca/news/10995948/booing-american-national-anthem-canada-fans-flames-canucks-senators-raptors/
[12] https://fortune.com/2025/02/05/canadians-booing-american-national-anthem-sports-games-trump-tariffs/
[13] https://time.com/7212302/raptors-fans-boo-american-national-anthem-trump-tariffs-us-canada/
[14] https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3348gk8my0o
[15] https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/fans-raptors-boo-us-national-anthem-canada/6132306/
[16] https://thehill.com/homenews/5127896-canada-fans-boo-us-national-anthem/
[17] https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/cjde9yy4gvzo
[18] https://whdh.com/news/canadian-fans-continue-to-boo-us-national-anthem-before-nba-and-nhl-games-despite-tariff-pause/
[19] https://www.yahoo.com/news/canadian-fans-boo-us-anthem-214405406.html
[20] https://www.politico.eu/article/canadian-sports-fans-boo-us-anthem-after-trump-kicks-off-trade-war/
[21] https://thehockeynews.com/news/reactions-trickle-in-after-fans-in-ottawa-calgary-and-vancouver-boo-u-s-anthem-it-is-what-it-is
[22] https://rdnewsnow.com/2025/02/04/booing-of-u-s-anthem-continues-at-canadian-sporting-events-despite-tariff-pause/
[23] https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/05/sport/canadian-fans-boo-national-anthem-spt-intl/index.html
[24] https://nypost.com/2025/02/01/sports/canadian-nhl-fans-boo-the-star-spangled-banner-after-trumps-tariffs-become-official/
[25] https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/watch-canadians-boo-us-national-anthem-after-donald-trump-imposes-25-tariffs-7625496
[26] https://globalnews.ca/news/10995913/vancouver-hockey-fans-boo-us-national-anthem-trump-tariffs/
[27] https://tribune.com.pk/story/2526103/canadian-hockey-fans-boo-us-national-anthem-in-protest-of-trump-tariffs-at-ottawa-senators-game
[28] https://apnews.com/article/fans-boo-national-anthem-tariffs-canada-2c7210574c0373348870a94445814407
[29] https://apnews.com/article/fans-boo-anthem-toronto-52a3c5add9de9239bc219c7496679b1c
[30] https://www.npr.org/2025/02/03/nx-s1-5284859/canada-trump-tariffs-boo-national-anthem
[31] https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/booing-u-anthem-continues-canadian-004555300.html
