Ahead of puck drop between the United States and Finland during Thursday’s matchup in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament in Montreal, the Bell Centre’s public address announcer asked for fans in attendance to show respect for all of the countries and players taking part in the best-on-best event.
But as soon as the first words of “The Star-Spangled Banner” echoed through the arena, the Montreal crowd responded with a heavy chorus of boos and whistles during the rendition — following what has been a familiar sight at sporting events in Canada amid tensions between the North American neighbors.