Sidney Crosby, Team Canada Members Open Up on American Anthem Being Booed

Team USA opened up their 4 Nations Face-Off schedule on Thursday night and prior to puck drop, fans at the Bell Centre booed the American national anthem, as a response to President Donald Trump's threats towards Canada.

After Canada's practice concluded on Friday, the players met with the media where, understandably, they were asked how they felt about the American national anthem being booed.

Canada's captain Sidney Crosby didn't want to get into the topic with reporters, saying they respect the anthems and wanted to leave it at that.

Fellow veteran forward Brad Marchand, who's represented Canada on numerous occasions, also shared his thoughts on the matter and said that fans shouldn't be booing the American national anthem, saying that it doesn't feel right and that he feels bad for the U.S. players.

Brad Marchand does have a point when it comes to the American players and feeling bad for them - it's not their fault for what's going on politically, but that won't matter to those in attendance tonight.

Regardless of how anyone in either locker room feels about the issue, it seems inevitable that Canadian fans at the Bell Centre tonight will boo the anthem prior to puck drop.

It's going to be an emotionally charged night at the Bell Centre as Canada and the United States meet for the first time at best-on-best since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, where the Canadians walked away with a 4-2 win in the group stage.

Puck drop for tonight's game is set for 5 pm PT (8pm local) and can be viewed nationally across Canada on Sportsnet, with pre-game coverage beginning at 4:30 pm PT.

Source: Maple Leafs Daily
Canada's Sidney Crosby and Brad Marchand Make it Clear How They Feel About National Anthem Discourse