Fans booing the U.S. national anthem has become a major point of contention during the ongoing Four Nations Face-Off. Team USA’s tournament debut saw Bell Center in Montreal fill with a chorus of boos ahead of their game with Finland. Now, just a day ahead of Canada’s match with the U.S., Maple Leaf captain Sidney Crosby has addressed the topic.

The issue Crosby spoke about has been ramping up in recent weeks as an after-effect of President Donald Trump’s ’51st state’ comments on the desire to impose a 25% trade tariff on Canada. Even after the POTUS stayed the tariffs, the sentiment hasn’t changed. In fact, fans booed the anthem despite a public address announcement ahead of the USA vs. Sweden game.

While Sidney Crosby refrained from making any strong statements, his message was clear. “I’m not going to get into that. We respect the anthems, and I’ll leave it at that,” Crosby said, as per Sportsnet reporter Luke Fox. However, many didn’t agree with Team Canada’s captain, leaving responses such as: “Should boo louder,” in response to Crosby’s take.

The Pittsburgh Penguins star cleverly navigated the question, keeping his personal opinions concealed. However, he showed respect for the time-tested tradition of honoring national anthems ahead of sporting events. Yet, the 37-year-old Canadian hockey star is far from the first or the only hockey star who has faced such a question from the press.

Yesterday, Team USA’s dynamic duo, Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, barely got the time to process their big win before facing a similar question. Their answer was also along the line of Crosby’s statement. “I didn’t like it. And that’s all I’ve got.” Matthew Tkachuk reluctantly confessed after his younger brother didn’t seem keen to speak on the topic. However, fans continued to debate Sidney Crosby’s response in the comments.

Sidney Crosby’s statement caused quite a stir

Some hockey fans continued to respond to the NHL star’s statement with anger. “Gonna keep booing,” commented one fan, while others expressed their disappointment. “If true so sad to hear from him. Probably the first time I have been disappointed in Crosby,” wrote another fan. These comments only served to strengthen what many have been speculating regarding Saturday’s game.

Despite the organizer’s best efforts to curb the trend, fans still booed during the U.S. national anthem. In fact, they relentlessly hurled their disapproval at Team USA’s captain, Auston Matthews. Now, many believe that the intensity will only be higher when the USA and Canada meet at Bell Center on Saturday. Even Matthews believes Canadian fans won’t go easy on Team USA.

“Yeah, I mean, we know the building’s going to be rocking,” the Toronto Maple Leafs player said during a post-match interview. Meanwhile, others argued against Sidney Crosby’s statement with a different perspective. “The people that pay exorbitant prices for seats have the right to cheer or boo all they want. Sports are ‘bread & circuses’ not a manners cathedral,” commented one fan.

However, there’s another side to every coin, and there were no exceptions this time. While many disagreed with Crosby, others didn’t. Instead, they question the need to even ask players such questions. “Exactly how every player should answer this stupid question. Everyone knows why the anthems are being booed. Has nothing to do with the players,” commented a netizen.

“Leave them alone on this issue. They’re giving us needed respite from politics. Sid gets it right – again,” added the fan, praising Sidney Crosby’s tactfulness to avoid expressing personal opinions. Yet, what do you feel about Crosby’s response? Do you agree with the NHL icon? Let us know in the comments.