It’s been a strange week in hockey in regards to miscues involving national anthems.
Prior to the Oilers and Ducks’ game three showdown in Edmonton, a technical issue prompted Oilers fans to sing both the American and Canadian national anthems. Anyone will agree that the Canadian fans in Rogers Place displayed a tremendous amount of class, and the team was even praised for their action.
A different kind of error occurred during an IIHF tournament game, however it didn’t end with a happy ending. After Slovakia defeated Italy 3-2 in overtime, both teams routinely lined up on their respective blue lines to listen to the winner’s national anthem, but fans and players were stunned and unimpressed when they heard Slovenia’s anthem instead. In case you missed it, one fan in particular was more rattled than the rest.
Mistakes happen, but for many players, this is an opportunity they look forward throughout their entire career. Hopefully the Slovaks can use this as extra motivation to win their next game so they can properly belt out their own anthem with their fans.
