Things can surely get heated despite the ice-cold rink in hockey. And that’s exactly what happened at the Montréal Bell Centre today, where Team USA and Team Finland are facing off. Even if it’s a Canadian rink, the neighbors were not given any kind of hospitality from the fans, as a certain controversy erupted way before the game started.

Honoring the countries that teams represent is a traditional practice for any sport, and hockey is no exception. But at this match, Team USA started off on the wrong foot or skate as the crowd who came to watch the 4 Nations Face-Off match plagued their entry. Taking to X, Cam Robinson of the Elite Prospects pointed out, stating, “The PA announcer asked everyone to respect the anthems. It went quiet for a moment, and some dude yelled, ‘F— that!’ and the rink proceeded to boo the American anthem.” Now, that’s just a bit more than harsh, as it’s completely disrespectful.

With political tensions brewing animosity between the United States and Canada, cascading it to hockey makes no sense. But do we have a say? The fans chose to absolutely express their views, even if it’s via frustration. The PA knew what was coming, so they preferred the crowd would consider courtesy over hate. However, the audience had the exact opposite reaction and even threw in a big derogatory remark. 

While the booing might sound rare, it’s not uncommon. Especially not the first in hockey. For Team USA, they aren’t playing at their home ground, so the support might be ambiguous. Additionally, this is not the first time the American team has faced this situation. They aren’t newbies to the bitter experience. The crowd booed the entire team during the Thursday practice at the Montreal Bell Centre without stopping.

Team USA has surely become a big target in the 4 Nations Face-Off. Now, it is not only about the hockey rivalry between Canada and the United States, but this will continue to escalate, as it hinges completely on fan behavior. However, with all this feud cooking up, what was the reaction of the captain of Team USA, who weren’t strangers to this particular rink?

Maybe the most chilled-out guy in the 4 Nations Face-Off

Yes, we are talking about Auston Matthews, who has been a target of many critics since the moment he was announced as the captain of Team USA. The ice hockey star, who is also the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the NHL, was delighted to dip his hands into this unique opportunity in this style of a tournament that has replaced the annual All-Star games for the current season.

Matthews seemed to be quite casual in handling the unwarranted crowd behavior. Going candid, the captain addressed it, stating, “I mean, we play here quite a bit, and obviously, uh, you know, it’s always a great atmosphere. I think it’s something you just embrace and have fun with. I mean, if you’re getting booed, you must be doing something right, so, uh, in the end, um, you know, these are moments, uh, games, situations that you kind of dream of playing in, so I don’t think there’s really any issue in that.”

Well, over the span of his ice hockey career, the captain has had his fair share of criticism. Indeed, when he took over the captaincy for the Maple Leafs this season, he currently shoulders a responsibility of guiding his team to the Stanley Cup, which has been evading the team since 1967. However, Matthews is currently focusing solely on the 4 Nations Face-Off, and if he succeeds, he could potentially silence his critics who have labeled him as “Mr. No Cups.”