BROSSARD, Quebec — A night after Montreal fans cheered him for the first time, Brad Marchand criticized them for who they booed instead.
Marchand repeated his opposition to booing during national anthems after fans at the Bell Centre booed throughout the Star-Spangled Banner before Team USA played Finland on Thursday at the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off.
Fans in Canada have been booing the American anthem since Donald Trump began proposing tariffs on Canadian goods and suggesting that the United States should use economic pressure to make Canada the 51st state.
“I still think in those moments with the anthem, there should not be any of that. We’re here to play a hockey game. They can boo all they want during the games. The anthems should be off-limits,” Marchand said. “Those should be a moment to show respect for the veterans and the millions and millions of people that sacrificed their lives so we could have freedom and the luxury to play a hockey game.
“They should not be booing the Americans during that anthem,” the Bruins captain continued. “They have nothing to do with the political things that are going on. I do feel bad for those guys in that moment. I don’t think it’s right. But those guys showed it last night, they’re not going to be deterred because of being booed. They’re here to play for keeps.”
Canada coach Jon Cooper said the mixture of personal political feelings and hockey rivalry didn’t make sense. He didn’t mind Montreal fans booing Auston Matthews because he’s a hockey rival on the Maple Leafs. But he thought politics at a hockey game were misplaced.
“I think people have their personal feelings and it, I think sometimes it gets mushed together when you bring politics into sports,” he said. “The NHL is great because there’s so many players from so many different countries and when they’re wearing the home jersey it’s OK. Everybody cheers for them, but if they put on their away jersey, they’re booing him and I, I’m O.K. with that.
‘Willie Nylander got booed in that Sweden game,” Cooper continued. “They weren’t booing because he was a Swede. They were booing because he was a Leaf, and I’m O.K. with that. That’s where the interaction happens. When you start bringing the anthem and the politics into that. The players are representing their country and it’s great in that aspect. To me, you’re clouding two issues and I just think everybody should come here and cheer for the great game and just kind of leave that part out of it.”
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