Canadian hockey fans boo Team USA players, national anthem at 4 Nations tournament in Montreal

The 4 Nations Face-Off began this week in Montreal, and Team USA is public enemy no. 1 up north.

Team USA played its first game of the tournament on Thursday against Finland, a day after Canada defeated Sweden in overtime, and they were across enemy lines to start the tournament.

As the team took the ice, the team was vigorously booed by the crowd, who continued to cheer on Finland all night.

Team USA forward Matt Boldy, #12, celebrates with teammates after a goal against Team Finland in the second period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. (David Kirouac-Imagn Images)

The fans also booed the playing of the "Star-Spangled Banner," despite the public address announcer asking the fans to respect the anthems.

The Canada-USA hockey rivalry is long-lived, but the hostility from Canadian sports fans has grown since President Donald Trump's threats to issue tariffs on the country and saying Canada could become the "51st state."

It is not the first time sports fans in Canada booed the USA's national anthem since the tariffs were set to begin; Raptors and Senators fans did so earlier this month.

Matt Boldy, #12 of Team United States, celebrates with Jaccob Slavin, #74, Brock Faber, #14, Kyle Connor, #8, and J.T. Miller, #10 of Team United States, after Boldy tip-in a shot for a goal during the second period of the 4 Nations Face-Off game between the United States and Finland at Bell Centre on Feb. 13, 2025 in Montreal. (Andrea Cardin/4NFO/World Cup of Hockey via Getty Images)

Vancouver Canucks announcer John Shorthouse even joked that a penalty would be two-and-a-half minutes because of the 25% tariffs.

The boos did not work long, though. Finland opened up the scoring, but Team USA scored six unanswered goals, including four in the third period, for a 6-1 victory. Brady and Matthew Tkachuk each scored twice.

Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke via phone last week hours before additional 25% tariffs were to take effect on Canadian goods coming into the United States. In a post on X, Trudeau said Canada will implement a $1.3 billion border plan and appoint a fentanyl czar.

Trump has long said Canada and Mexico have failed to do enough to prevent the flow of illegal migrants and drugs, particularly fentanyl, from those nations into the U.S. In addition, Trump claims the U.S. has subsidized Canada to the tune of $200 billion annually. 

Trump had promised to impose a 25% tariff on all Canadian and Mexican goods, as well as a 10% tariff on Canadian energy and a 10% tariff on all goods entering the U.S. from China. The tariffs on China were set to go into effect Tuesday at midnight. 

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Canada and USA will play each other in Montreal on Saturday, and there is a chance the two could play each other for the tournament title when it moves to Boston next week.

Charlie McAvoy, #25, Jake Guentzel, #59, Zach Werenski, #8, Auston Matthews, #34, and Jack Hughes, #86 of Team United States, stand at their blueline during the singing of the United Sates national anthem before the 4 Nations Face-Off game between the United States and Finland at Bell Centre on Feb. 13, 2025 in Montreal. (Vitor Munhoz/4NFO/World Cup of Hocky via Getty Images)

Each country will play each other once before the top two teams will face off next Saturday for the one-game final.

Fox News' Louis Casano contributed to this report.