Booing American sports teams, boycotting U.S. goods, and skipping cross-border trips — Canadians are making headlines for their ongoing displays of patriotism in the face of President Donald Trump’s tariff war.
That same patriotic fervour may be turning Saturday’s Canada vs. USA game in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament into the most sought-after ticket in town.
The only seats left on Ticketmaster on Friday morning were verified resales, starting at $816.75, taxes and fees included. Many were listed for over $1,000. One premium pair of tickets even hit $21,168.
To put that in perspective, tickets for Sweden vs. Finland earlier in the day at the Bell Centre were going for just $77.
Fans took to social media to vent their frustration.
“Why are tickets for Canada vs USA $600 each man?” wrote one Twitter user identifying himself as Lamy.
The political climate is likely driving demand, said Vivek Astvansh, a business professor at McGill University. With tensions over trade running high, he said, the game has taken on a deeper significance.
“The politics has added more interest to the game,” he said. “Maybe Canadians are more willing to spend money to show the United States what Canada is made of.”
With a fixed number of seats and a fluid resale market, Astvansh added, prices were bound to spike when emotions ran high.
Ticketmaster declined to comment, referring inquiries to the NHL and the teams involved, but a sales representative conceded by phone that demand was intense, though not unexpected for a matchup like this.
Already, O Canada has been belted out with new intensity, while The Star-Spangled Banner has been met with boos.
Even Quebec Premier François Legault stepped in, urging fans to keep things civil. His words, however, did little to quiet the crowd. On Thursday, during the U.S.-Finland match, jeers echoed through the Bell Centre as the American anthem played.
And Saturday’s matchup against Canada’s southern neighbour is expected to be just as heated.
“Yeah, I’d be booing Team USA too, and I hope the anthem gets booed at every game they play in Canada,” wrote one Reddit user.
Another countered: “It’s not the players’ fault.”
The reply came fast: “It’s not directed at the players.”