As Chantal Kreviazuk sang “O Canada” before the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game between the U.S. and Canada, some listeners heard what sounded like a mistake.
Rather than sing “true patriot love in all of us command,” Kreviazuk changed it to “true patriot love that only us command.”
Some assumed it was an embarrassing error on the Canadian artist’s part, but her representative confirmed to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that it was in fact intended as a response against recent rhetoric from the U.S. government about taking Canada’s sovereignty.
Kreviazuk also posted a picture of the modified lyric on her hand to her Instagram Story.
Kreviazuk performed amid loud boos from the crowd in Boston, a clear response to Canadian fans jeering the U.S. national anthem over recent statements and actions from President Donald Trump. Since taking office last month, Trump has made repeated comments about turning Canada into the 51st state of the U.S. and has also threatened to hit the country with significant tariffs.
Many of Trump’s allies have made similar comments, some serious and some not. Sen. Ted Cruz — who was born in Calgary — posted a joking message that the U.S. would get to take over Canada if it won Thursday.
Canada has not taken any of that well, and the result has been a hostile response to “The Star-Spangled Banner” any time it’s played in a Canadian NHL arena.
The matter has taken hold of the country’s national pride so much that it elevated the meaning of the 4 Nations Face-Off for many, and the resulting games between the U.S. and Canada were played like an Olympic gold medal match.
After losing to the U.S. in group play, Canada came back around and defeated the Americans 3-2 in overtime on Thursday, with superstar Connor McDavid scoring the golden goal. Not long after puck hit net, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted a statement clearly aimed at the United States.
You can’t take our country — and you can’t take our game.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) February 21, 2025
The Canadian team proceeded to celebrate the win with another performance of “O Canada,” and there weren’t so many boos this time. Just singing along.
The NHL wasn’t planning for rising political tensions in the background of the 4 Nations Face-Off, but they helped juice interest in a tournament that has looked more and more like a good idea as each game has been played. As every major American sports league has struggled to maintain interest in its All-Star game, from both fans and players, the NHL replaced its usual All-Star break with a miniature international tournament, and the result was some great hockey.
It’s unclear when or if we’ll ever see another 4 Nations Face-Off, but every player seemed to buy into the event. Next up: the 2026 Winter Olympics.