Watch: TD Garden crowd sings US national anthem before 4 Nations championship vs. Canada
TD Garden was buzzing ahead of puck drop between Team USA and Canada.
Jeremy Swayman was expecting plenty of fireworks on Causeway Street Thursday night.
The Bruins netminder and Team USA goalie has seen TD Garden roar as one during countless playoff runs. But the added emotional weight and anticipation ahead of Thursday’s 4 Nations Face-Off title game between the US and Canada set the stage for a spectacle within Boston’s home barn.
“It couldn’t be a better city to be a part of this tournament,” Swayman said Thursday. “Just the hockey culture and the community that we have here. It’s gonna be such a special event because of that.
To be able to host and see the passionate fans that we have, it’s gonna be a great game and tournament for the world to see what we have here in Boston.”
Sure enough, a raucous TD Garden made good on Swayman’s proclamations ahead of puck drop — with a packed crowd signaling the start of the pitched bout between hockey juggernauts by bellowing out a loud rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner”.
While TD Garden regular Todd Angilly handled anthem duties for Team USA on Monday, the Boston Pops had the duties on Thursday night.
You can watch the rendition of the US national anthem below:
Prior to the US national anthem, Canada’s national anthem of “O Canada” drew heavy boos at the start from the Garden crowd, but eventually was drowned out by the plenty of Canadian fans in attendance singing along.
You can watch the Boston crowd’s reaction to the Canadian national anthem below:
The reception of “O Canada” at TD Garden was a storyline entering Thursday’s matchup, considering that “The Star-Spangled Banner” was booed during Team USA’s first two round-robin matchups of the tournament at Montreal’s Bell Centre.
The US national anthem has been booed in Canadian arenas in the weeks leading up to the 4 Nations tournament following Donald Trump’s pledge to levy heavy tariffs against the country — as well as his repeated suggestions that Canada should become the “51st state” of the US.
That harsh response in Montreal drew criticism from both US players and Team Canada forward (and Bruins captain Brad Marchand).
“I still think in those moments with the anthem, there should not be any of that. We’re here to play a hockey game. They can boo all they want during the games. The anthems should be off-limits,” Marchand told reporters in Montreal last week. “Those should be a moment to show respect for the veterans and the millions and millions of people that sacrificed their lives so we could have freedom and the luxury to play a hockey game.
“They should not be booing the Americans during that anthem,” Marchand added. “They have nothing to do with the political things that are going on. I do feel bad for those guys in that moment. I don’t think it’s right. But those guys showed it last night, they’re not going to be deterred because of being booed. They’re here to play for keeps.”
But speaking ahead of puck drop on Thursday, Team USA defenseman Brock Faber stressed that the hostilities between the US and Canada lies more in a rivalry that stretches back decades — rather than the current political climate.
“Regardless of what’s going on politically, I think for us — USA and Canada have always hated each other on the ice, right,” Faber said, per Dan Rosen of NHL.com. “That’s how I look at it. I think that’s how all the guys look at it. It’s nothing more than just the hatred we have for each other on the ice.
“When you’re born in Canada as a hockey player it’s all you know — is to just not like the United States. It’s the same with a hockey player wearing red, white and blue when it comes to Team Canada. It’s always been a rivalry. That hatred just comes from ever since I started playing hockey and I think a lot of those guys would say the same thing.”
There was no shortage of emotions in the building ahead of puck drop, as a hype video featuring Herb Brooks’ speech from the movie “Miracle” riled up an already energized crowd.
Both Wayne Gretzky and Mike Eruzione were also introduced as honorary captains for Team Canada and Team USA, respectively, with Eruzione wearing a Johnny Gaudreau jersey in memory of the late Boston College and Team USA star.
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