Yes, the Sabers still play the Canadian national anthem, “O Canada,” even when they play the Canadiens in the playoffs. This originally appeared in The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a preferred source by clicking here.
It’s become a topic of conversation this offseason: the Buffalo Sabers playing the national anthems of the United States and Canada before their home games.
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And yes, that still applies if you face a Canadian opponent in the playoffs. The Montreal Canadiens are in Buffalo on Wednesday to open their Eastern Conference semifinal series, and you can expect to hear both tunes.
“O Canada” is sung first, followed by “The Star Spangled Banner.”
It’s been that way with the Sabers since the beginning, a tradition that goes back more than 50 years.
They have had many fans over the years come across the border to the arena, just a few miles from the state border.
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They had many prominent Canadian players.
Even their team’s name is written in Canadian style.
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The Sabers fan base went a little viral in Game 5 of the first round when the microphone cut out while singing “O Canada” and the entire arena got their act together. That’s just how it works at hockey games in Buffalo.
The Sabers and Detroit Red Wings are the only two NHL teams in the United States that both play anthems before games. However, the Red Wings are sitting at home.
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The Sabers, on the other hand, host a team from Montreal. It is Buffalo’s first second-round playoff series in 19 years.
And the anthems won’t change. As always, it will be both.