The booing continued despite the audience being urged through the loudspeakers to show respect for the national anthem and the players.
Since Donald Trump took office as president in the USA, Canadian fans have booed the American national anthem at various professional matches. Trump has threatened Canada with punitive tariffs and even floated ideas about annexing his northern neighbor.
The American players were cautious in their comments after the match. Center JT Miller said that the team was tagged, while forward Matthew Tkachuk was content to say that he did not like the behavior. Defenseman Zach Werenski tried to see it as the supporters simply wanting the USA to lose the match:
I'm clearly a proud American and love playing for the USA and being an American. I don't want to get into the political part, that's what it is, he said.
From the organizers' perspective, NHL's vice commissioner Bill Daly describes that they are aware of what has happened.
It's clearly unfortunate, and we wish it wasn't so. But every now and then things happen, and people have strong feelings about it.
The USA won the meeting with 6–1.
