Before the 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey championship game on Thursday, Canadian singer Chantal Kreviazuk modified a line in ‘O Canada’ to protest U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments about making Canada the 51st state. While performing, Kreviazuk modified the line ‘in all of us command to ‘that only us command’, giving the reason for her protest as Trump’s comments. She went on to explain to the Associated Press that she did it because she believes in democracy, and a sovereign nation should not have to be defending itself against tyranny and fascism.
The U.S. and Canadian squads were already under pressure, with the U.S. president making repeated calls for Canada to become the 51st state and slapping tariffs on the nation. Kreviazuk’s protest was seen in Boston, where American spectators half-heartedly booed the anthem, but her singing overpowered it. In Montreal, Canadian spectators responded by booing the U.S. national anthem.
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The singer of the Canadian National Anthem at the #4Nations Championship changed the lyrics from “in all thy sons command” to “only us command” in response to “annexation rhetoric coming from the U.S.” pic.twitter.com/QVE1Q7I5UE
— Jon Root (@JonnyRoot_) February 21, 2025
In the heated game, Canada triumphed 3-2, with Connor McDavid scoring the winning goal, securing Canada’s victory in the tournament. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reacted to the win with an impassioned X post, claiming, “You can’t take our country and you can’t take our game.” At the same time, U.S. President Trump had phoned the U.S. team during the day and continued his jabbing at Canada, calling Trudeau ‘Governor Trudeau’ on Truth Social. This political strain was accentuated during a press conference where Canada’s Public Safety Minister, David McGuinty, forcefully declared, “Canada is a sovereign and independent nation. It has been so for more than 150 years and will continue to be.”
