By Motoko Rich and Tariq Panja, Reporting from Milan
In Milan on Sunday, a sea of red and white Canadian fans packed the 14,000-seat Santa Giulia Arena. They were there to witness their men’s national ice hockey team face off against the United States for the coveted Olympic gold medal – a prize of immense importance in Canadian sports.
This wasn’t just any hockey game. Against a backdrop of increasing political friction between the Trump administration and Canada’s government, the encounter held even greater significance for many Canadian supporters who had journeyed to one of the Winter Olympics’ premier events. Magda Palczynska, originally from Wolfsville, Nova Scotia, visibly expressed the depth of emotion surrounding the game.
“Let’s be honest, it’s a grudge match,” Ms. Palczynska declared, her husband nodding enthusiastically in agreement. “Canadians feel insulted by those they once considered allies. This is a matter of national pride.”
Outside the Santa Giulia Arena in Milan before the gold medal game in men’s hockey at the Winter Olympics.
Inside the vibrant arena, the dance cam captured energetic spectators from both sides, waving their national flags and proudly wearing team merchandise. One American fan sported a jersey with ‘1980’ prominently displayed, a nod to the year the U.S. famously defeated the Soviet Union at the Lake Placid Winter Games.
The Canadian team was favored over the U.S. team, which hasn’t won the gold medal in men’s hockey since 1980.
Canadian fans expressed that the game’s meaning was amplified due to existing political tensions with the United States.
That 1980 victory was perhaps the last time Olympic ice hockey held such profound political weight, and it marked the last instance the U.S. men’s team claimed the gold medal.
An announcer, seemingly aware of the charged atmosphere, cautioned fans against “disrespecting the other team” as warm-up time dwindled. A message on the jumbotron reiterated that the Olympic Games are “a family event built on the values of respect, friendship and excellence,” urging attendees to “treat other spectators, staff, and volunteers with courtesy.” Such a message was notably absent from other events like figure skating or speedskating.
Despite the pleas for sportsmanship, boos were distinctly heard as the U.S. team skated onto the ice for their pregame warm-up. When the Canadian players followed, a wave of cheers largely overshadowed the jeers. Moments before the game’s start, when the Canadians took the ice first, the boos intensified, and American fans began chanting “U.S.A.!”
Out on the plaza in front of the arena, where fans bought refreshments and posed for photos by the Olympic rings, Jeff Hunt, a 50-year-old hockey coach from Virginia, Minn., and Rick Lehecka, a 51-year-old retired business owner from Spring Grove, Ill., had secured tickets a week prior, before knowing their nation would compete for gold.
“It’s like gambling — you got to take a chance, but we had faith,” Mr. Hunt remarked. Acknowledging Canada was favored, he added, “it’s OK to be the underdog.”
He concluded, “We share borders so we have to be friendly, but when it comes to hockey, this is serious business.”
Many fans proudly waved their national flags inside the arena.
“It means more to us than it would normally,” one Canadian fan shared before the game.
The pair had invested $2,600 per ticket for prime front-row seats, including one for Mr. Lehecka’s 14-year-old son, Kyron, a club team goalie.
Mr. Lehecka, sporting a red “Make America Great Again” cap, asserted that he viewed the match as non-political, but pointed out that Canadian fans had booed the American national anthem at a Four Nations tournament in Montreal the previous year.
“I think they took it political,” he commented. “I would never boo their national anthem. If they don’t like Trump, we elected him.”
Canadian fans, however, openly embraced the political dimension of the game. “It is political for us, absolutely,” stated Lloyd Tucker, 67, a Toronto fan fully decked out in Team Canada attire. “It never was, but it is now. It means more to us than it would normally. Hockey is the national sport, so if Canada doesn’t win the gold it is a loss.”