Fans in Canada continued to boo the U.S. national anthem before NBA and NHL games on Tuesday, even after news broke the day before that U.S. President Donald Trump had agreed to pause tariffs on the country.
At Rogers Arena in Vancouver, “The Star-Spangled Banner” was met with boos before the Canucks’ 3-0 win over the Colorado Avalanche.
The boos turned to cheers as singer Elizabeth Irving completed the U.S. national anthem, and the applause grew even louder when she began performing “O Canada.”
President Trump announced the tariffs on Saturday, which raised concerns about significant price hikes for American consumers. The tariffs included a 25% duty on most imports from Canada and all imports from Mexico, as well as a new 10% tariff on Chinese goods.
However, on Monday, Trump agreed to pause the tariffs on Canada and Mexico for one month, just hours before they were set to take effect. This decision followed conversations with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, both of whom pledged to enhance border security with the U.S.
“Canada has agreed to ensure we have a secure Northern Border, and to finally end the deadly scourge of drugs like Fentanyl that have been pouring into our Country, killing hundreds of thousands of Americans, while destroying their families and communities all across our Country,” Trump shared on Truth Social.
Despite concerns, Canada only accounts for 0.2% of U.S. border fentanyl seizures.
In Toronto, many Raptors fans booed the U.S. national anthem before the team’s 115-121 loss to the New York Knicks. While the boos were not as loud as before Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers, “O Canada” was still met with strong applause, especially the line “True North strong and free!”
There were also some boos before the NHL game between the Winnipeg Jets and the Carolina Hurricanes. Though not particularly loud, the boos grew in intensity towards the end of the anthem. The Jets went on to win the game 3-0, marking their seventh consecutive victory.
