Fans boo Canadian national anthem ahead of ALDS Game 3 vs. Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium
The American flag is brought out for the National Anthem as the Yankees play Game 3 of the American League Division Series against the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. Credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara
Fans at Yankee Stadium loudly booed the singing of the Canadian national anthem before Game 3 of the American League Division Series on Tuesday night.
Boos and chants of “U-S-A, U-S-A” were heard at the ballpark as Ontario native Graham Rowat sang “O, Canada.”
Fans at Yankee Stadium boo the Canadian national anthem pic.twitter.com/syvgRNudwq
— Anthony Rieber (@AnthonyRieber) October 7, 2025
It’s the latest example of America fans booing the Canadian anthem and vice versa at sporting events in 2025.
Canadian fans booed “The Star-Spangled Banner” before games in the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off in February. It was widely believed to be a response to President Donald Trump’s repeated calling for Canada to join the U.S. as the “51st state” and Trump’s tariffs against Canadian goods.
In March, fans at Madison Square Garden booed “O, Canada” before a game between the Rangers and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
It’s not the first time it’s happened at Yankee Stadium, although all the instances — including Tuesday’s — seemed to be more about sports than politics. The Blue Jays went into Tuesday with a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series after two blowout victories in Toronto and were looking to eliminate the Yankees from the playoffs.
In 1985, during a heated pennant race, Yankees fans booed the anthem before an August game against Toronto.
It became such an international incident that the U.S. Ambassador to Canada, Tom Niles, issued an apology.
“Most Americans,” the apology read, “indeed most New Yorkers, were as deeply offended as were Canadians at the reaction of some spectators to the playing of the Canadian national anthem last week. I hope that Canadians realize that the booing reflected excessive partisan spirit in support of the home team and not any hostility to Canada.”
In August 1993, again before a pennant race game with Toronto, fans at Yankee Stadium booed the Canadian anthem.
Danny Tartabull, a Yankees designated hitter, told Newsday after the 1993 incident: “It’s the national anthem. Some kind of respect needs to be paid to it.”
Coincidentally, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited President Trump in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
“We have natural conflict,” Trump said, speaking of trade differences, not sports. “We also have mutual love.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
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