American hockey fans have been taunting Canada with 'USA' chants in Stanley Cup Playoffs
Hearing patriotic chants from fans during international hockey is customary, but not so much during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Until this year.
Dallas Stars fans serenaded the Edmonton Oilers with “USA” chants on Wednesday in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final. It’s the latest example of what has become a trend in these playoffs.
Dallas fans chanting “USA” during the #StanleyCup playoffs š¤Ø pic.twitter.com/hqxPCeTa4l
ā Rob Williams (@RobTheHockeyGuy) May 22, 2025
The chants came off as rather ironic to some, as the Stars roster features just five American-born players, including Thomas Harley, who suited up for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. Meanwhile, eight of their players were born in Canada.
These chants aren’t new for the Dallas crowd, which did the same thing last round when their team was facing the Winnipeg Jets.
Many quickly pointed out that the Jets had nine American-born players on their roster, including goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and star forward Kyle Connor.
The crowd chants usa, usa and what they don't realize is the Winnipeg Jets have more American players than the Dallas Stars. There is a place for that type of support in international play but not in the Stanley Cup finals where teams are more diverse.
— danno (@danno3325614085) May 14, 2025
Florida Panthers fans were chanting “USA” last round in a series that saw them play the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Panthers roster features seven Canadians and four Americans.
āUSA! USA!ā chants from the Panthers faithful after a game in which the goals were scored by Carter Verhaeghe šØš¦ and Sam Bennett šØš¦
— Matt Larkin (@MLarkinHockey) May 12, 2025
The rivalry between these two nations has picked up in the new year, with many Canadian markets booing the American national anthem in response to tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. Americans will also argue that they have the upper hand when it comes to winning in the NHL playoffs, as the last Canadian team to hoist the Stanley Cup was the Montreal Canadiens in 1993.
At the very least, these chants have helped create an even more intense rivalry in some playoff series this year and could add even more excitement to the current Western Conference Final between the Oilers and Stars.