Canadian hockey fans travel to U.S. with mixed feelings to support NHL teams

Daniel Rainbird · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Apr 23, 2025 8:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

Mark Jarry has chopped arsenic galore American goods arsenic imaginable from his idiosyncratic spending.

The middle-aged antheral from the South Shore of Montreal besides stopped taking regular trips southbound of the Canadian borderline aft U.S. President Donald Trump was elected to a 2nd word and threatened to marque Canada the 51st state.

That changed erstwhile Jarry's beloved Montreal Canadiens entered the NHL playoffs.

Jarry and chap dyed-in-the-wool instrumentality Gabriel Borduas flew to Washington for Game 1 of the Canadiens' first-round bid against the Capitals connected Monday.

"We came present due to the fact that it's the Canadiens," said Jarry successful French portion decked successful a Canadiens jersey astatine Capital One Arena. "At a definite point, the bosom wins implicit reason."

Montreal is 1 of 5 Canadian teams competing successful the playoffs this spring, joining Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Edmonton.

Jarry and Borduas accidental pursuing the Canadiens is simply a ritual during the playoffs. They've travelled to respective American cities implicit the years and didn't privation to miss the latest accidental to enactment their squad connected the roadworthy — adjacent if it meant voyaging to the U.S. superior amid the existent governmental tensions.

The 2 friends, however, hesitated greatly earlier booking their flights.

"I'd accidental there's a spot of guilt, due to the fact that close present we privation to instrumentality unneurotic [in Canada]," Jarry said. "Clearly, our feelings are different. It's benignant of similar a divorce."

"We don't enactment the American government, we person thing against American citizens."

Trump's rhetoric astir annexing Canada — and the terrible tariffs helium has levied against the state — has sparked booing of "The Star-Spangled Banner" successful arenas and stadiums crossed Canadian nonrecreational sports. Wayne Gretzky's ties to Trump person besides stirred statement implicit The Great One's loyalty to Canada.

American fans person responded with occasional jeers during "O Canada," including a tiny information of the assemblage astatine Game 1 of the Canadiens-Capitals series.

Borduas said his friends and household disquieted helium mightiness beryllium stopped astatine U.S. customs amid caller reports of foreigners being detained for much than a week.

"They were much acrophobic than we were," Borduas said.

Canadian histrion and entrepreneur Jasmine Mooney, 35, was held successful detention for 12 days successful March aft reapplying for a enactment visa astatine the American borderline successful San Diego. She was besides banned from the state for 5 years.

Borduas and Jarry, meanwhile, described their acquisition this week arsenic a creaseless introduction into the United States.

"They adjacent wished america a bully game," Jarry said.

WATCH | Do hockey and authorities mix? Yes and no:

Canadians travelled to the United States acold little than accustomed past month. The fig of instrumentality trips made by Canadian residents plunged by 13.5 per cent by aerial and 31.9 per cent by automobile compared to 2024, according to Statistics Canada.

Jarry and Borduas said they received large hospitality successful Washington, contempt sticking retired arsenic Canadians successful their Montreal jerseys.

Alicia, different diehard Canadiens instrumentality who travelled to D.C. but chose not to uncover her past name, said she wouldn't question to the United States "for the adjacent 4 years" unless it was to enactment her team. She believes hockey fandom transcends politics.

"I deliberation it's important to retrieve what hockey means for america arsenic Canadians," she said. "I deliberation sports is simply a large mode to bring radical together."

Other Canadiens fans who made the travel expressed less reservations.

"That's politics, you know? It's mostly a gag now," said Reynald Couillard, who's besides from Montreal's South Shore. "I don't springiness a [crap]. I'll travel present if I person fun, I bask the place, arsenic good arsenic I spell to Hong Kong and Singapore and anyplace other astir the world."

Some Edmonton fans visiting Los Angeles for the Oilers' bid against the Kings besides hardly hesitated to alert south.

"I truly didn't care," said Sam Chiarello, who travelled with his wife, lad and son's woman to ticker the Oilers extracurricular Edmonton for the archetypal time.

Jessalyn Brickner, an Oilers instrumentality from Colonsay, Sask., 45 minutes extracurricular Saskatoon, said a planned household travel to Disneyland lined up with Edmonton's playoff schedule.

Her lone interest astir travelling to the United States progressive the debased Canadian dollar, presently worthy 0.72 U.S. cents.

"None of that bothers us, different than the dollar and the speech rate," Brickner said.

Trump's 51st authorities rhetoric has created immoderate disorder for Red Bear Brewing Company successful Washington. One of the brewery's signature beers is called the "51st State IPA," released astir 2019 arsenic a motion to the D.C. statehood movement, not the annexation of Canada.

Manager Colin Hunt said they've had respective Canadians scope retired wondering astir the name.

"We had a lawsuit that bought the garment and was each excited to bring it backmost location successful Canada to amusement each his friends, and we were each benignant of confused astatine the moment," helium said.

Hunt noted that income of the "51st State IPA" person accrued since Trump took bureau a 2nd time.