Canadian fans boo US national anthem at NHL game following Trump's tariff order

Canadian hockey fans loudly booed the US national anthem at an NHL game between the Minnesota Wild and the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night, following President Donald Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on Canadian imports.

During the pregame ceremonies at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, boos erupted as singer Mandia began performing "The Star-Spangled Banner" alongside "O Canada." The booing intensified as she finished the anthem before awkwardly transitioning to the Canadian anthem, according to a report by the Daily Mail. Despite the tense atmosphere, the game proceeded as scheduled, with the Senators beating the Wild in a 6-0 victory.

The crowd's reaction came in response to Trump's executive order, signed earlier that day, imposing a 25 percent tariff on Canadian imports. The president also imposed a 25 percent tariff on Mexican goods and a 10 percent tariff on Chinese imports.

In response to Trump's decision, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced retaliatory measures in a national address, vowing to implement 25 percent tariffs on $155 billion worth of US goods, including alcohol, lumber, and appliances, beginning Tuesday. Trudeau’s move defied Trump’s warning that any countermeasures could result in even steeper tariffs, raising fears of an escalating trade war between the neighboring nations.

Trudeau has urged his nation’s citizens to prioritize purchasing domestic products instead of ones made in the US. Additionally, British Columbia Premier David Eby called for the removal of US alcohol from government store shelves and urged Canadians to boycott alcohol produced in Republican-led US states.

Trump has defended the tariffs as a means to boost the US economy but specifically justified the measures against Canada and Mexico as a consequence of their failure to aid in reducing illegal immigration and drug trafficking along the northern and southern border.

“We need to protect Americans, and it is my duty as President to ensure the safety of all. I made a promise on my Campaign to stop the flood of illegal aliens and drugs from pouring across our Borders, and Americans overwhelmingly voted in favor of it,” Trump stated in a post on Truth Social.