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Donald Trump’s proposal to make Canada the 51st state has provoked great hostility among Canadians
Donald Trump’s controversial proposal to make Canada the 51st state of the Union was not at all pleasant for the inhabitants of the ‘Maple Leaf’ country and this was evident on Saturday at the Bell Centre in Montreal, when Canadian fans booed loudly and the singing of the US National Anthem, for the second consecutive night, during the competitions for the Four Nations hockey tournament, organized by the NHL.
The US team has been met with strong hostility in a country that is historically friendly and affectionate to everyone, even after announcer Michel Lacroix asked the crowd, in French and English:
“In the spirit of this great game that unites all, please be kind enough to respect the anthems and the players who represent each country”.
However, the Montreal fans were much louder than on Thursday when USA faced Finland, to the point that the boos extended throughout the song.
“I didn’t pay attention,” said U.S. starting goaltender Connor Hellebuyck after beating Finland 6-1 on Thursday. “You have freedom of speech. You can do whatever you want. If you’re going to boo the anthem, we sing it for the troops that protected our freedom. That really doesn’t mean anything to me. You can do whatever you want. But I don’t use it at all.”
For his part, US team coach Mike Sullivan said this hostility has nothing to do with the strong start by the US team on Thursday night:
“That’s not something we can control,” Sullivan said. “We just want to play hockey. We want to compete. We want to represent our nation the right way.”
Fans across Canada have booed the US national anthem at NHL and NBA games since President Donald Trump repeatedly hinted that he wants Canada as part of his expansionist policy, where he also seeks to buy Greenland from Denmark.
Trump also threatened to impose tariffs against various industries in Canada, which has further angered a country that has historically been a US ally, with whom it has a strong social and commercial relationship
When asked Friday in practice about the booing of the fans during the US anthem, veteran Canadian defenseman Drew Doughty condemned this reaction from Montreal fans
“Obviously I know what’s going on and I understand the frustration of Canadians, but I think we should respect the anthems and things like that,”Doughty told reporters in Brossard, Quebec. “I don’t think anyone should be booing.”
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