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

WASHINGTON — Mark Jarry has cut as many American goods as possible from his personal spending.

The middle-aged man from the South Shore of Montreal also stopped taking regular trips south of the Canadian border after U.S. President Donald Trump was elected to a second term and threatened to make Canada the 51st state.

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That changed when Jarry’s beloved Montreal Canadiens entered the NHL playoffs.

Jarry and fellow dyed-in-the-wool fan Gabriel Borduas flew to Washington for Game 1 of the Canadiens’ first-round series against the Capitals on Monday.

“We came here because it’s the Canadiens,” said Jarry in French while decked in a Canadiens jersey at Capital One Arena. “At a certain point, the heart wins over reason.”

Montreal is one of five Canadian teams competing in the playoffs this spring, joining Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Edmonton.

Jarry and Borduas say following the Canadiens is a ritual during the playoffs. They’ve travelled to several American cities over the years and didn’t want to miss the latest chance to support their team on the road — even if it meant voyaging to the U.S. capital amid the current political tensions.

The two friends, however, hesitated greatly before booking their flights.

“I’d say there’s a bit of guilt, because right now we want to stick together (in Canada),” Jarry said. “Clearly, our feelings are different. It’s kind of like a divorce.”

“We don’t support the American government, we have nothing against American citizens.”

Trump’s rhetoric about annexing Canada — and the severe tariffs he has levied against the country — has sparked booing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” in arenas and stadiums across Canadian professional sports. Wayne Gretzky’s ties to Trump have also stirred debate over The Great One’s loyalty to Canada.

American fans have responded with occasional jeers during “O Canada,” including a small portion of the crowd at Game 1 of the Canadiens-Capitals series.

Borduas said his friends and family worried he might be stopped at U.S. customs amid recent reports of foreigners being detained for more than a week.

“They were more concerned than we were,” Borduas said.

Canadian actress and entrepreneur Jasmine Mooney, 35, was held in detention for 12 days in March after reapplying for a work visa at the American border in San Diego. She was also banned from the country for five years.

Borduas and Jarry, meanwhile, described their experience this week as a smooth entry into the United States.

“They even wished us a good game,” Jarry said.

Canadians travelled to the United States far less than usual last month. The number of return trips made by Canadian residents plunged by 13.5 per cent by air and 31.9 per cent by automobile compared to 2024, according to Statistics Canada.

Jarry and Borduas said they received great hospitality in Washington, despite sticking out as Canadians in their Montreal jerseys.

Alicia, another diehard Canadiens fan who travelled to D.C. but chose not to reveal her last name, said she wouldn’t travel to the United States “for the next four years” unless it was to support her team. She believes hockey fandom transcends politics.

“I think it’s important to remember what hockey means for us as Canadians,” she said. “I think sports is a great way to bring people together.”

Other Canadiens fans who made the trip expressed fewer reservations.

“That’s politics, you know? It’s mostly a joke now,” said Reynald Couillard, who’s also from Montreal’s South Shore. “I don’t give a (crap). I’ll come here if I have fun, I enjoy the place, as well as I go to Hong Kong and Singapore and anywhere else around the world.”

Some Edmonton fans visiting Los Angeles for the Oilers’ series against the Kings also hardly hesitated to fly south.

“I really didn’t care,” said Sam Chiarello, who travelled with his wife, son and son’s girlfriend to watch the Oilers outside Edmonton for the first time.

Jessalyn Brickner, an Oilers fan from Colonsay, Sask., 45 minutes outside Saskatoon, said a planned family trip to Disneyland lined up with Edmonton’s playoff schedule.

Her only concern about travelling to the United States involved the low Canadian dollar, currently worth 0.72 U.S. cents.

“None of that bothers us, other than the dollar and the exchange rate,” Brickner said.

Trump’s 51st state rhetoric has created some confusion for Red Bear Brewing Company in Washington. One of the brewery’s signature beers is called the “51st State IPA,” released around 2019 as a nod to the D.C. statehood movement, not the annexation of Canada.

Manager Colin Hunt said they’ve had several Canadians reach out wondering about the name.

“We had a customer that bought the shirt and was all excited to bring it back home in Canada to show all his friends, and we were all kind of confused at the moment,” he said.

Hunt noted that sales of the “51st State IPA” have increased since Trump took office a second time.

With files from Gemma Karstens-Smith in Los Angeles.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 23, 2025.

Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press