The Canadiens’ Cole Caufield was hoping fans at the Bell Centre wouldn’t boo the U.S. national anthem ahead of Saturday afternoon’s game against the New Jersey Devils.
Quebec Premier François Legault — of all people — was hoping the same thing and he was planning to be in attendance for the game with Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey.
Caufield and Legault pretty much got their wish, with only a small smattering of boos during Cherylyn Toca’s singing of the Star Spangled Banner — mostly coming from the upper deck.
Before Toca started singing the anthems, longtime Bell Centre public-address announcer Michel Lacroix had a message for fans from the Canadiens.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please rise and remove your hats and caps for the singing of the national anthems,” Lacroix said. “Despite recent events, we ask that in the spirit of this great game that unites everyone that you respect the Canadian and U.S. national anthems and the players representing each country.”
The vast majority of the Bell Centre fans did that.
Fans in Canadian arenas started booing the U.S. anthem before games this week in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat of imposing a 25-per-cent tariff on virtually all goods from Canada starting in February. In response, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada would hit back against the U.S. with tariffs on $155 billion worth of U.S. goods. Trudeau noted Canada wouldn’t stand for an attack from a country that was supposed to be an ally and friend.
Following a conversation with Trudeau on Monday, Trump decided to delay his threat of tariffs for 30 days after the prime minister took steps to appease Trump’s concerns about border security and drug trafficking. Trudeau said he would expand Canada’s existing $1.3-billion border protection plan, would list cartels as terrorists, launch a new cross-border task force, release $200 million more to fight drug trafficking and appoint a fentanyl czar.
“I am very pleased with this initial outcome, and the Tariffs announced on Saturday will be paused for a 30 day period to see whether or not a final Economic deal with Canada can be structured,” Trump posted on social media. “FAIRNESS FOR ALL!”
Despite the delay on Trump’s tariff threats, fans In Vancouver, Winnipeg, Ottawa and Calgary booed the U.S. national anthem before NHL games this week and the same thing happened in Toronto before a Raptors NBA game.
Caufield is one of four Americans on the Canadiens roster, along with Lane Hutson, Christian Dvorak and Jayden Struble. Jeff Gorton, the Canadiens’ executive vice-president of hockey operations, is also an American and so is head coach Martin St. Louis’s wife, who he met when they were both at the University of Vermont. St. Louis, his wife (Heather Coragol) and their three sons have their main home in Connecticut.
“Respectfully, I think it is pretty disrespectful,” Caufield said after practice Friday in Brossard when asked about fans booing the U.S. anthem. “It does bother me a little bit. But, at the end of the day, that’s a whole different thing. As hockey players we don’t really get into that stuff. I think just being respectful of everybody, everybody’s human, and just come to watch the hockey game and support the team.
“I’m out there playing hockey,” Caufield added. “I think the national anthems are huge for the troops that have fought for each country there. For me, personally, I stay out of that. We play hockey. We’re trying to do our job. Fans come to watch the game, just be respectful, I think, and just remember those who have come before you.”
Legault began his political career with the separatist Parti Québécois before forming the Coalition avenir Québec party in 2011 and then being elected premier of the province in 2018. Legault said this week he understands the anger of Quebecers toward Trump, but added all Americans shouldn’t be painted with the same brush.
“People right now are angry at Trump, but let’s be prudent,” Legault told reporters Thursday in the Beauce city of St-Georges, where he met business leaders worried about the U.S. president’s threat to impose punishing tariffs. “I don’t want people to boo the American national anthem.”
Legault added he understands the frustration.
“It makes no sense that we have been partners with the U.S. for all these years and we are now being threatened with being excluded from the market,” the premier said. “Because a 25-per-cent tariff is almost like being excluded.”
Organizers of the annual Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament are also concerned about fans booing the U.S. anthem. The 65th edition of the event is slated for Feb. 12-23 in Quebec City, featuring players age 11 and 121, including about 40 teams from the U.S.
“These are kids with no ties to politics,” Julie Hamel, the deputy director of the tournament, told CBC News. “We don’t want for these young people to get onto the ice during the opening ceremony and for people to start booing during their national anthem.
“It’s kind of like breaking their dreams,” Hamel added. “We don’t want them to go home with this memory.”
Caufield was asked after Friday’s practice if it might be time to get rid of the tradition of playing national anthems before the start of every NHL game.
“It’s a pretty cool thing, to be honest with you, to hear both anthems pretty much every night,” he said. “For me, it’s part of the routine, it’s part of everything. It’s been a part of sports history through and through. Regardless, you got to just be respectful, come to watch the hockey game, support your team and let those songs play out, I guess.”