The trade war between the U.S. and Canada is temporarily on ice, but the hard feelings aren¡¯t. When The Star-Spangled Banner is played before National Hockey League games in Canada, the boos still occasionally rain down. It¡¯s made the NHL¡¯s inaugural 4 Nation¡¯s Face-Off tournament, which started on Wednesday, a bit awkward.
Canadian fans have good reason to feel aggrieved. U.S. President Donald Trump¡¯s threats of tariffs have destabilized the Canadian dollar and it¡¯s hurting the competitiveness of businesses there. Sports aren¡¯t immune to the disruption and professional hockey north of the border is set up to take the biggest hit.
For starters, the NHL is the only major U.S.-based league that has a substantial number of franchises in Canada. While Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association each have one team there, seven of the hockey league¡¯s 32 clubs call Canada home.
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