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Amid a trade war that includes President Donald Trump’s threats to Canadian sovereignty and his plan to ban imports of several Canadian products to the U.S., the NFL’s Buffalo Bills have made an unexpected announcement.
On Wednesday, the team said on social media platform X that both O Canada and The Star-Spangled Banner will be performed before its Sept. 17 home opener against the Detroit Lions, the first regular-season game at the new Highmark Stadium.
The Bills announced that “for the first time in Highmark Stadium history, we will celebrate the American and Canadian anthems during pregame.” Actress and singer Auliʻi Cravalho will perform the American anthem and Toronto band Barenaked Ladies will sing O Canada.
The Barenaked Ladies’ Ed Robertson, Tyler Stewart and Jim Creeggan, left to right, are shown in Toronto on Sept. 9, 2023. The band will perform O Canada before the Buffalo Bills’ home opener against the Detroit Lions on Sept. 17. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press)
In Buffalo, the Canadian national anthem is rarely heard before NFL games, but it’s commonly played before NHL games, even when the Sabres are up against American opponents. In April, fans at KeyBank Center in Buffalo sang O Canada after a microphone failed before the Sabres’ playoff game against the Boston Bruins.
Buffalo is the only U.S.-based NHL team that plays both national anthems before home games against American and Canadian teams.
Tit-for-tat tariffs escalate trade war
On Tuesday, Trump signed five proclamations to ban Canadian imports including alcohol, motorcycles and various other products to the U.S. as of Sept. 29, and slap 50 per cent tariffs on a series of other products starting next week.
Auliʻi Cravalho, shown arriving at the premiere of Moana on July 7 in Los Angeles, is set to sing The Star-Spangled Banner at the Bills’ game. (Richard Shotwell/The Associated Press)
The latest move in an escalating trade war between Canada and the U.S. comes after Canadian retaliatory tariffs, promised after trade talks fell apart last month, came into force Tuesday.
In explaining why Canada chose not to sign a trade deal amid Trump’s deep tariffs on billions in Canadian goods, Prime Minister Mark Carney said: “We were not prepared to compromise Canada’s sovereignty or undermine our key industries.”
Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula bought the team for $1.4 billion US from the estate of late Hall of Fame owner Ralph Wilson in 2014.
NBA Hall of Famers Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, former Toronto Raptors stars, were among 10 limited partners who joined the Bills’ ownership group in 2024. Jozy Altidore, a former U.S. National Team soccer player, MLS champion and Toronto FC star, was also among the new limited partners announced.
It marked the first time in franchise history that minority owners were added.