MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
The hockey rivalry between the U.S. and Canada turned ugly this week as President Trump's talk of tariffs and annexation brought geopolitics to the ice. Last night, the U.S. faced Canada in the final of the 4 Nations hockey tournament. Canada won in overtime. Rob Lane from member station WBUR was there in Boston.
ROB LANE, BYLINE: The Americans say it all started with this.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED MUSICAL ARTIST: (Singing) By the dawn's early light.
(SOUNDBITE OF CROWD BOOING)
LANE: Canadian fans booed the U.S. national anthem when the two teams met earlier in the tournament last Saturday.
TOBY BRILL: Right off the bat, I was fired up to come 'cause of that.
LANE: That's American fan Toby Brill. He flew in from Las Vegas to Boston and says he paid a couple grand for a ticket to the sold-out final. Grace Chipman is a Canadian fan. She lives in the U.S., but grew up in Calgary. She said Canadians had good reason to boo.
GRACE CHIPMAN: I think there's a lot of Americans who don't understand how concerned and offended Canadians are and how much Canadians have pride in their country, and that we've been friends with the U.S. for so long, friendly neighbors, that it's pretty offensive to be called the 51st state.
LANE: President Trump doubled down on his talk of annexing Canada in the hours before the rematch. He took to Truth Social to taunt Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He called him Governor Trudeau. Jake Heumans (ph), an American fan from New Jersey echoed that tone outside the TD Garden arena.
JAKE HEUMANS: You were saying, taking over Canada and their sport. We're taking over their tariffs. We own them, the 51st State.
LANE: American fans filled the arena. Many were draped in flags. They led chants...
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: (Chanting) USA.
LANE: ...And reigned vengeful boos on a rendition of "O Canada," in which singer Chantal Kreviazuk ad-libbed pro-sovereignty lyrics.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
CHANTEL KREVIAZUK: (Singing) True patriot love that only us command.
LANE: In the end, though, it was the Canadians who took the night. They won in overtime, 3 to 2, on a goal off the stick of star Connor McDavid.
(SOUNDBITE OF CROWD CHEERING)
LANE: And Prime Minister Trudeau fired off a social media post of his own. You can't take our country, he wrote on X, and you can't take our game.
For NPR News, I'm Rob Lane in Boston. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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