The bets rose even more in the midst of ongoing political tensions between the United States and Canada. In recent weeks, President Donald Trump has promoted the idea that the United States will absorb Canada as “State 51” and asked the Wayne Gretzky hockey legend to serve as the Canadian Prime Minister. Trump has threatened with broad tariffs in the country and said he would exercise “economic force” on the nation in an effort to take care of the neighbor of the northern United States.
This backdrop has led to the boo of the American national anthem in sporting events throughout Canada in recent weeks, even during the last confrontation between the United States and Canada in Montreal on Saturday.
The players of both teams, many in the Canadian team play in NHL teams located in the United States, while some in the American squad game for the Canadian franchises of the League, condemned the hymn’s boo. But the beginning of Saturday’s game, which the United States won 3-1, was marked by three separate fights between the players of the United States and Canadian players after the fall of the album.
Matthew Tkachuk, Brady Tkachuk and JT Miller, three of the stars of the US team., They revealed after the game that the fights had planned in a group conversation in advance. Brandon Hagel, a striker in the Canada team who fought against Matthew Tkachuck at the beginning of Saturday’s contest, told journalists on Tuesday: “I think we are playing for the flag, not the cameras.”
“That is a part of Canada that we have there,” Hagel continued. “We don’t need to start anything. We don’t have group chats. We are going to play our game and then give everything and do it for our country. We do not need to start everything. We are only going to play as hard we can and we will do it for the flag in the chest. “
Matthew Tkachuk would answer on Wednesday, saying: “Maybe your team does not like if they don’t have group chats.”
Bill Guerin, general manager of the US team., Told Fox News earlier this week that invited Trump to attend Thursday’s contest.
On Thursday, Trump called to talk to American players before the championship fight. Previously, he made fun of Canada on his real social platform, saying that he would call the American team “to stimulate them towards victory tonight against Canada, than with much lower taxes and a much stronger security, someday, maybe soon, It will become our appreciated, and very important, fifty first state. “
“I will talk to the governors tonight in DC, and unfortunately, therefore, I will not be able to attend. But we will all be observing, and if Governor Trudeau would like to join us, it would be welcome, ”Trump added.
In recent months he has made fun of the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who attended Saturday’s game in Montreal, as “governor.” The Canadian embassy did not respond to a request for comments.
After Thursday’s game, Trudeau shared his thoughts about the result on social networks.
“You can’t take our country, and you can’t take our game,” he wrote.
